THE ALPACA.-NO. 5. 
299 
THE ALPACA.—No. 5. 
Diseases, fyc .—Inca Garcilasso tells ns of a 
plague, wearing all the symptoms of a malignant 
cutaneous disorder, which attacked the tame as well 
as the wild varieties, and by the Indians was called 
earache, literally meaning the itch. This epidemic 
occurred towards the year 1544, and the disorder 
chiefly showed itself under the belly and round the 
joints, on those parts most divested of hair, and, 
spreading outrageously, carried off nearly two- 
thirds of the country sheep, from which period they 
have never been so numerous as before. It even 
reached the guanaco and vicuna, but among them 
was not so destructive, in consequence of their in¬ 
habiting a colder region, and not going so much in 
flocks as the tame breeds. This, however, was a 
rare occurrence, occasioned, no doubt, by the state 
of the atmosphere, as it extended to the foxes and 
other wild animals, and one that has never since 
befallen the country. It has frequently been re¬ 
marked in Peru, that both the llama and alpaca, 
when taken down to the lowland towns, and kept 
there as pets, perspire as soon as the hot weather 
comes on, and, if neglected, a scurf forms on the 
skin. In their new character the coat is, of course, 
carefully preserved, as being ornamental; but if it 
is shorn off, and the animal bathed in the cool part 
of the day, before the system has been heated by ex¬ 
ercise, or the natural warmth of the climate, the 
sufferer, in a short time, invariably recovers. It 
therefore, follows, that the loss of their fleece at the 
proper season is serviceable to these sheep, and 
helps to preserve them in good health. 
Dr. Unanue, speaking of the climate of Lima, 
remarks “ that cold and damp, suddenly coming on, 
are apt to check perspiration, which produces an 
irritation on the skin, and this, if neglected, ends in 
an eruption, and finally in the itch; but that, when 
taken in time, it is easily cured by a cooling medi¬ 
cal treatment.” The same causes produce similar 
effects on the alpaca. Soon after leaving the sul¬ 
try coast of Peru, shut up in a crib fastened to the 
deck, the poor animals are hurried through the 
variable latitudes of Cape Horn, where heavy gales 
frequently occur, accompanied by torrents of rain, 
which necessarily must affect the prisoner. The 
first visible symptom is, that the animal experiences 
a nausea or sea-sickness, and abstains from food ; 
in which case it droops, lingers, and dies. # If, 
however, it has the spirits to accept the dry pro- 
vender offered, sometimes tainted with bilge water, 
guano manure, or otherwise affected by the smell 
of the vessel, it survives in a weak and languid 
state; but too often contracts the disorder com¬ 
plained of, in consequence of the wet and cold 
currents of air, under the sails, to which it has 
been exposed, and through neglect and long stand¬ 
ing, the eruption assumes a serious character. 
The cooling remedy above pointed out they them¬ 
selves seek ; for when taken down to the heated 
atmosphere of the plains, should this rash break 
out, both the llama and alpaca instinctively go in 
search of a refreshing stream. This Mr. Stevenson 
noticed in his llamas, erroneously supposing that it 
was with a view to allay thirst. No alpaca run, 
therefore, if possible, should be without a rivulet; 
one, indeed, that in some part has a depth equal to 
three feet, but, if more,, it ought to be paled off. I 
“ Proper treatment,” says Mr. Walton, “ is not, 
however, the only point to be taken into considera¬ 
tion. In my own mind I have long been convinced, 
that the mode of obtaining these animals in Peru 
was injudicious, and. as regards the ruinous manner 
in which they are generally brought over, the facts 
already adduced will speak for themselves. I have 
even ventured to think that there are better breeds 
on the Andes slopes than those usually sent to 
Europe The first proposition is placed beyond 
doubt by the incontestible evidence of General 
O’Brien, who, a few days after visiting Knowsley, 
wrote to me thus :— 
“ ‘ I think that the mode generally used for bring¬ 
ing the alpaca over to this country is defective. 
For instance, the captains of ships who arrive on 
the coast of Peru, give an order for two or three 
pairs, which are brought down from the interior, 
say fifty leagues’ distance. The captain, who can¬ 
not be a judge of the animal, is glad to take what 
he can get, good or bad, as the first cost is only 
trifling, say from eight to twelve shillings each 
(about $3). He then puts them on board, with 
some dried clover. The animals are sure to be old 
ones, as the aborigines are cunning enough to keep 
the younger stock for themselves, and one-half die 
before the vessel doubles Cape Horn. The others, 
which the captain brings to England, not unfre- 
quently are old and past bearing, and even live 
only a short time—but why ? Because, I answer, 
they are placed on some rich and heavy soil, pro¬ 
bably in a park, as I have seen them at the Earl of 
Derby’s and other places. They do not there enjoy 
the high mountain air; they become sickly, and 
then probably comes on the mange. Their native 
home is at least 10,000 feet above the level of the 
sea. The highest and most barren mountains in 
this country would be more congenial to the ani¬ 
mal. Although the Earl of Derby, and others here, „ 
take particular care of them, yet those gentlemen 
must pardon me when I say that they are mistaken. 
1 speak from experience; for I have bred some 
thousands, and also used them as beasts of burden 
to carry down the ores from my mines.’ 
“ Nothing can be more just than these remarks 
Too liberal an allowance of rich and stimulating 
food to an animal extremely abstemious, and habit¬ 
uated to live on coarse and light herbage, and that 
in small quantities, must be injurious; hut, above 
all, if we are to have alpacas, let us begin by plac¬ 
ing them in a suitable climate, the more necessary 
after a long and tormenting voyage. 
“ Convinced that one-half of the failures in rear¬ 
ing Peruvian stock were attributable either to 
wrong food or over-feeding, I wrote to Alfred 
Higginson, Esq., surgeon, of Liverpool, to whom, 
in 1841. I was indebted for an interesting series of 
remarks on the stomach and intestines of two 
alpacas dissected by himself. Knowing that his 
attention had ever since been directed to the same 
subject, and that subsequent opportunities had pre¬ 
sented themselves to him of further examining the 
digestive organs of several more which died with¬ 
out any ostensible cause, I requested himto> favor 
me with the results of his last.operations, which he 
politely did under date of May 15th, and in these 
words:— 
“ ‘ Of the three dissections ofaipaca&dying in this 
neighborhood, the last was*perhapSfc.th£'-most im- 
