GENERAL. 41 



the majority of the useful animals of the World, and particularly 

 of those that were essential for the draught purposes of Artillery 

 and Transport, so greatly in demand. In a war of such long 

 duration and of such severity in respect to both human and 

 animal participators, the practical command of the most useful 

 war animals was a weapon in the hands of the Allies that went 

 a long way towards the downfall of the enemy. 



Honour, therefore, to those noble creatures, who, under 

 circumstances indescribable in their awfulness at times, shared 

 their lot with human beings, who suffered with a dumb 

 obedience, and helped to " win the war." 



No Nation or Army has probably had more experience of 

 animals in the Field than our own, and such experienced gained 

 in respect to the different classes of animals employed should 

 constitute us authorities in ways and means of avoiding wastage. 

 The reports of Army Veterinary Service in our numerous 

 campaigns in different countries and under varying circum- 

 stances form very absorbing reading. The achievements of 

 animals are on occasion wonderful, but alas there are pages of 

 unhappy disclosures where wastage was excessive to a degree, 

 reflecting on our system of management and business acumen. 



Broadly speaking, there are two classes of wastage : Prevent- 

 able wastage, and wastage by Act of God, inseparable from 

 war. Though here I shall treat of both, it is to the former 

 that my thoughts are specially directed, and if any remarks of 

 mine will serve as a means to keep this class of wastage ever in 

 subjection, I shall not have written in vain. 



To go into the subject without further preamble, I shall 

 divide my remarks under the following major headings : — 



Prevention op Wastage and Inefficiency. 



Causes op Wastage and Inefficiency. 



Wastage Peculiar to India. 



