Precautions after Disembarking. 213 



to a greater or less extent. Hence, in an 

 attempt to restore the circulation of a frost- 

 bitten part, it is well to rub it with snow, 

 so as to produce a slow return of the blood, 

 in order that the blood vessels may gradually 

 resume their ordinary work which has been 

 kept in abeyance by cold. Neglect of this 

 essential precaution of obtaining gradual res- 

 toration of a disused function, has been the 

 cause of the death of thousands of army horses 

 during the present South African war. Instead 

 of giving lately-landed animals, at the very 

 least, three weeks, during which to gradually 

 accustom their feet to normal conditions, our 

 Generals at the front, being badly in want 

 of horses, adopted the disastrous plan of 

 ordering the new arrivals to be promptly sent 

 up country, with the result that the average 



