74 WASTAGE OF ANIMALS IN WAR. 



Another similar disease, and affecting the legs of animals 

 chiefly, was what we termed Ulcerative Cellulitis, ox as termed 

 by the French, Ulceratvie Lymphangitis of Nocard. 



This is a mud-borne disease, and it gave both the French 

 Veterinary Service and ourselves a lot of trouble. Treatment 

 was by specially prepared vaccines, or by antiseptic applications : 

 but the disease is most intractable, liable to burst out again, 

 and hope of success lay only in the milder cases evacuated early. 

 Of these we ca^lculated to cure 50 per cent, but 25 per cent, of 

 apparent cures recurred. The French af&rmed that 15 per cent, 

 were curable. The disease is a very ugly one ; it affected some 

 of our best draught horses and necessitated a considerable 

 number of destructions. 



I have previously alluded to the churned up mud of 

 Flanders. Picture hygiene in a comparatiyeh' small area in 

 Northern France holding say 450,000 animals for nearly four 

 years, each animal excreting say 32 lb. of dung and ID gallons 

 of urine daily. The soiling of the ground and liability to 

 infective mud-borne diseases can be readily realised, and our 

 dif&culties appreciated. The wonder is that loss was not 

 heavier from this class of disease. 



Another disease which gave us great concern in France 

 and also undoubtedly one of insanitation, was : — 



Specific or periodic Ophthalmia. . The ailment made its 

 appearance in France in March 1917, and by the end of the 

 campaign its victims ran into thousands. By February 1918 

 incidence, including recurrency, ran up to Vi per cent, of 

 strength, and then it somewhat abated. 



The disease is not new, in fact it is the old " Moon 

 Bhndness" of the coaching days. It occurs also in dealers' 

 stables, Eemount Depots, and commercial stables sporadically 

 in ordinary times; but it is left to war, in which large 

 numbers of animals are employed, to disclose real intensity. 



A more or less similar condition was experienced during 

 the South African "War, and I think under any protracted 

 war the same result will follow. 



The disease is an iritis, recurrent, and ends in blindness 

 either from " Cataract " or disorganisation of the eye. It is 



