PURCHASING 315 



limbs are strong and well attached to the body, and 

 that the muscular development is good. An animal 

 with bent hocks, or one that stands well over on its 

 hocks, especially if long shanked, is not up to much 

 weight, and in ground which is at all rough or heavy 

 is liable to come down if well loaded. These should 

 also be avoided. 



The callosity under the chest is a provision of Callosity 

 nature, upon which the camel rests when kneeling for chest 

 the imposition of a load. It should be large, well 

 rounded, and deep. Examine this well, for he often 

 gets a bruise here which turns into a nasty sore. 



6 Brushing ' and ' thickening ' of the skin under the Brushing 

 fore legs go together for the former is really the result e nmg of 

 of the latter, consequent on the friction which takes 

 place when the animal is walking. The surface gets 

 rubbed and terribly raw, and if the camel is kept 

 working develops into sores and incapacitates him. 

 Many camels are liable and predisposed to this most 

 serious fault ; and it is a point that requires a very 

 close inspection also, as camels which suffer from it are 

 more or less useless. For this reason never fail to look 

 under the elbows, to see if a camel has any marks of 

 brushing on the body ; for if it is a young one, or one 

 which has been little worked, it is not so easy to detect 

 as on old ones that have been hard worked. Should 

 the animal be at all narrow-chested, and have folds of 

 loose skin underneath the elbow, have it walked past 

 you, with a load on if possible, as one of this kind is 

 prone to brush. A practised eye will at once detect 

 this, and will on no account buy the animal. 



Examine a camel's paces carefully, as well as his 



