AILMENTS, CAUSES AND REMEDIES 233 



posing on him. Still it is interesting as showing that 

 such a disease does really exist. 



20. Swelling and inflammation of the feet. This is Swelling 



and in- 

 due to constant and excessive exposure to rain and namma- 



snow. As a rule a dry climate is essential for breeds the feet 

 of the Arabian species, though with great care they 

 will stand moisture. Camels of the Bactrian species 

 are of course better adapted for damp, because they 

 are accustomed to it, and, as we have seen, the pads of 

 their feet are harder. 



(a) Sore feet. Camels that have walked a long Sore feet 

 time or a long distance over stony or rocky ground 

 frequently suffer from tender soles and get knocked 

 up, and if not looked after they often go lame. A 

 strong coating of tar constantly applied, and rest, of 

 course, are the best remedies. 



21. Wearing away of the soles of the feet is caused Wearing 

 by excessive and continuous wear and tear, especially soles of 

 over broken stony ground, and as a rule occurs in old 

 camels. I have seen some instances of it myself, where 



the cushioned pad has been almost worn away to the 

 quick, rather more in the fore than in the hind feet, 

 which are less used, I suppose, and which the natives 

 protect with straps of leather. Gilmour, in his ' Mon- 

 golia,' mentions that the soles of camels' feet wear into 

 the quick, and that they have often to be patched by 

 thongs drawn through the callosities. 



In both these cases, in wet sloppy, or rough rocky 

 ground, the advisability of making an easily fitting 

 leathern buskin to fit over the foot is obvious, so as 

 to protect the lower pads in the former case 

 from being cut by sharp jagged stones, and in the 



