60 WASTAGE OF ANIMALS IN WAR. 



the annals of our Army. To keep it down, an educative policy 

 in practical animal management is absolutely indispensable both 

 in peace and war ; moreover, history points to the necessity for 

 the enforcement of stern disciplinary measures when neglect is 

 apparent. 



To go back into now ancient days, a perusal of the old Kabul 

 papers is of absorbing interest, revealing dark pages in the 

 history of animals that are happily past in modern times. In 

 those days systems were watertight, and the right hand was in 

 ignorance of what the left hand did. Transport arrangements 

 were a thing apart from the rest of the Army, and the 

 establishment of Veterinary Hospitals was left to the initiative 

 of a limited number of British Veterinary Surgeons, who for 

 extra duty performed with the Transport Department received 

 the sum of Es. 75 per month as against a Ti;ansport Officer 

 Es. 200 per month. 



The animals of Transport were partly Government owned, 

 partly hired, and judging from the report Of the Inspecting 

 Veterinary Officer, the whole system of organisation and 

 conduct of affairs must have been quite unique. In his tour 

 inspection Eeport he alludes to evident want of inspection, 

 whereby hired animals were sent from Kohat up the line by 

 hundreds with no arrangements for the supply of food, that 

 being left entirely to the owners ; farther on at Thai where he 

 wished to establish a Veterinary Hospital he found utter 

 confusion, so much so that he could not make a proper 

 inspection of the animals, which in most instances were not 

 even tied up in lines. There were but few animals even in fair 

 condition, and sore backs were counted by the hundred, the 

 sores being smeared over with mud, cow-dung, etc. At All 

 Khel he found debilitated Foot -and -Mouth -Disease -affected 

 slaughter cattle being sold by public auction to the inhabitants 

 of surrounding villages. At Togh where a depot for camels had 

 been formed, though the officer in charge was using every 

 endeavour by grazing, feeding on grain, and placing animals 

 under shelter, his camels, already debilitated, were carried off 

 by pulmonary and dysenteric disease to the extent of 40 per 

 cent. Government and 33 per cent, hired in 58 days. He 

 describes an inspection of 5754 baggage animals comprising 



