(c) DISEASE. 



Although South Africa is looked upon by many as the incubator 

 of all kinds of animal pests, still she is one of the healthiest pastoral 

 countries of the world. She imported almost all her stock diseases 

 and their prolificacy is due to the scientific fact that the diseases that 

 are dormant and comparatively harmless in one country may be- 

 come an epidemic pest in the other. 



The Cape Horse as learned from previous pages is a very healthy 

 and sound animal. The testimony of the highest veterinary author 

 ities at home and of the British Army as already stated are all 

 agreed that bodily the average Cape Horse is one of the soundest 

 types and that he is fit for service to a great age.-'^ 



In a land of "eternal sunshine" he spends almost all his life 

 in the open. With little variations the climate is temperate and 

 the air extremely dry. With the exception of a narrow costal strip 

 all the rest of South Africa consists of high plateaus with a mean 

 summer temperature of 62° or about the same as that of the Reviera 

 which is 61°. The nights are always cool and refreshes again what 

 has been exhausted during the day and the continuous heat of Bom- 

 ba}^, Madras and even New York which is so exhaustive is unknown 

 in South Africa.-* 



Several infectious diseases as Glanders, Mange and Equine 

 Piroplasmosis (Biliary Fever) and several lesser ones have been 

 imported, ignorantly and unwillingly of course, toward the end of 

 the last century, but have never caused great loss or serious trouble. 

 The most dreaded disease is Horse-sickness. It made its first ap- 

 pearance in 1719, sixty-seven years after the first horse was im- 

 ported. Why it has been in abeyance so long puzzled many scien- 

 tific investigators since the indigenous species of the genus Equus 

 harboured the disease, but was immune to its attacks.'^ This is, 

 however, easily explained by the fact that 1719 was the date the pas- 

 toral boundaries first extended into the disease infested area — the 

 region all below the mountain ranges is still free from horse-sickness, 

 or to be more correct all that region that has winter and late autumn 

 rains. The disease generally makes its appearance after the heavy 



(23) See Veterinary Beports in Papers Belating to Purchase of Horses for 



Service in India. Bluehoolcs Capetown 1845-1888, etc. 



(24) Sir James Bryce "Impressions of South Africa." 1898- 



(25) Cf. Science in South Africa. Dr. W. Flint and Dr. J. 0. F. Gilchrist 



1905. 



93 



