PREVENTION AND FIRST AID TREATMENT OF DISEASE. 33 1 



The chest pad of the camel and also any of the other horny pads on The chest 

 the elbow stifle and knee are liable to be bruised and cut by contact with P^d of the 

 hard ground or rocks, and the injury is often aggravated by sand ^^"^^1- 

 working into the fissures so caused, and matter not infrequently forms. 

 When this happens care should be taken that there is a good opening for 

 the matter to escape, and all channels from which it issues should be 

 thoroughly syringed with an antiseptic. The most important detail, 

 however, is to make sure that the wound is covered and protected from 

 further injury, and this may be done by a soft pad of any material being 

 fixed over the injured part. Tow, straw, bhoosa and sacking can always 

 be obtained, and a large pillow with a hole in the centre will give ease 

 and protection when the camel is lying down. 



Broken knees are commonest among horses and mules, but working Broken 

 oxen also are liable to this injury. The term is used to include all injuries knees, 

 of the knee when the skin is broken, and these vary very greatly in 

 severity. The skin on the knee joint is very thick and freely movable 

 over the parts beneath, and probably the majority of broken knees do not 

 cut through its actual thickness ; but the severity of the blow received is 

 so great that large pieces of surrounding skin are often so badly bruised 

 that they die and come away in the discharge ; so that a wound originally 

 the size of a half-crown may in a week's time be twice as large and 

 proportionately deeper. Immediately beneath the skin are the tendons 

 running over the front of the joint, and beneath them again the joint oil 

 bag and joint itself. 



The cause of broken knees are — 



(i) bad action ; 



(2) animals being tired from overloading or overdriving ; especially 



is this the cause when they are not in good condition ; 



(3) long toes or too thick shoes, which have the same effect ; 



(4) Saddle pressure from the burr of the side bar pressing on to and 



interfering with the action of the shoulder-blade ; this shortens 

 the stride and induces stumbfing. 



Attention to the two last points before starting on a march will often 

 obviate this particular accident, which when once done is sometimes 

 beyond remedy, especially on service. 



Treatment.— Q^vl^x-a\ wound treatment, absolute cleanliness, and do Treat- 

 not poke the place about. If joint oil escapes from the wound, run a rnent. 

 stream of cold water over it constantly until it ceases. Attention to saddle 

 fitting, and shoeing and condition will prevent many of these accidents. 



