(302) 



CHAPTER XL 



PREVENTION AND FIRST AID TREATMENT OF 

 DISEASE. 



On service the majority of casualties among animals come under the 

 following headings : — 



Contagious diseases ; Loss or want of condition and exhaustion ; 

 CoHc, and wounds and injuries. 



Loss or want of condition, combined with injuries, usually account 

 for the bulk of the losses, and these may be regarded as preventable. 

 Contagious diseases are also to an extent preventable, and their spread 

 may in any case be greatly checked by simple precautions. The best 

 means of prevention, generally speaking, is a thorough knowledge of the 

 management of animals in he.dth. Whilst the animal is fit and in 

 condition hardship and exertion can be borne without injury, but once the 

 troop horse is sick, injured or exhausted, he is only an encumbrance to a 

 fighting unit and has to be left behind, his place being filled by a fresh 

 animal, possibly not in hard condition. It is on this account that so 

 mu:h stress is laid on the necessity for thorough knowledge of stable 

 management, feeding and work under all circumstances, and to the 

 importance of drecting attention to the prevention of injuries rather than 

 to the treatment of those that have occurred. Sufficient knowledge to 

 deal with injuries and emergent cases in a common sense manner, until 

 professional assistance is obtainable, is an excellent addition ro the 

 mounted soldier's education ; but these occurrences will be comparatively 

 few and far between if horses and other animals are got and kept 

 thoroughly fit. For use in such cases as can be treated in the lines units 

 are provided on service with a small field veterinary chest, the contents 

 of which and directions for their use are here appended : — 



