ANIMAL DISEASE IN NAl'AL. 6()5 
1 have not been kept so well informjed of the outbreaks of 
disease as I could wish. 
The severe drought of last year, and the consequent lack 
of food for cattle and other animals, caused heavy losses from 
poverty ; but, as I anticipated, the losses from disease when 
the grass grew, consequent on the sudden change from 
poverty to plethora, were, I believe, much greater. 
The past summer has been unusually unhealthy for horses, 
and there has been more sickness amongst them than I have 
ever known since I have been in Natal. The chief disease 
has been a low fever, which attacked animals of all ages and 
in all conditions, though those that were well fed and cared 
for seemed, as far as my observations went, to be less sus¬ 
ceptible to, and to recover more quickly from, it. I noticed 
that horses brought from the Cape Colony and the Orange 
Free State were much more liable to disease than Natal 
horses, but then it must be remembered that they had come 
long journeys, and had the change of food and climate to 
contend with. Very few cases of fever have come under my 
notice amongst the horses brought from England ; but the 
system of management and feeding is much better than 
colonial horses usually receive. 
More cases of horse-sickness have come under my notice 
this year than last, chiefly amongst the horses of the Re¬ 
mount Depot. I have sought every opportunity of acquiring 
information relating to this affection, to compare with and 
aid my own investigations, which up to the present time, 
tend to support my ideas of its nature, causes, &c., which 
I embodied in a report on this subject last year. I have 
studied this matter with very great interest, and am still more 
confirmed in my opinion that the poison which gives rise to 
this disease is not due to miasma, nor is it contained in the 
dew, but in the grass itself, and I am still inclined to the 
belief in its cryptogamic origin. 
In connection with this subject I have the honour to 
acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of a valuable report 
on the “ Loodianah Disease,” which you kindly obtained 
from the Government of India at my request. From in¬ 
formation obtained from persons acquainted with the Loodia¬ 
nah fever and from the report itself, I have no doubt of 
its identity with our so-called horse-sickness, both as to its 
nature and causes, as well as to the conditions favorable to 
its development, and its rapid course and fatal termination 
in most cases. 
Numerous cases of glanders have come under my notice 
during the past year, some amongst horses brought from the 
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