28

them free from Surra, and I therefore took the opportunity
of making systematic observations on their temperatures
with a view to deciding what may be considered normal. The
camels which eventually proved to be healthy were three in
number, and the following tests were relied on for proof of
freedom from Surra :—

(a) Examination of blood with negative results—

For 192

consecutive days in the case of Camel

No.

1.

For 178

do.

do.

do.

do.

No.

2.

For 198

do.

do.

do.

do.

No.

3.

(b)  Inoculation of susceptible animals with the camel's
blood at different times on four occasions for each camel with
negative results.

(c)  In the case of Camel No. 2, on inoculation subse-
quently with surra blood, he became infected.

The temperature observations from which the results
were drawn were made per rectum on 86 consecutive days
in the spring and hot dry months during which the camels
grazed all day and were not worried by flies ; they are backed
up by many observations made before and since on camels in
general.

Under ordinary conditions, the healthy camel's tempera-
ture is low at dawn, from which time it rises uniformly until
about 7 P.M. in the evening, sinking again during the night.
The daily range of temperature as between morning and
night is very variable and is from 1° to 6° F.

In the early morning (5 to 6 A.M.) we found the tempera-
ture of the camels at rest to average about 97° F. The
extreme temperatures at this hour shown by the three
camels were as follows :—

Minimum.

Maximum.

Camel No. 1

... 95° F. or below it. *

98.6° F.

Camel No. 2

... 95° F. or below it. *

99.6° F.

Camel No. 3

... 95.4° F.

99.5° F.

Cleland (Bulletin No. 34, Department of Agriculture,
Western Australia,) has found that the morning temperatures
of some Surra camels sometimes sank to 94° F.

In the evening between 6 and 7 P.M., the average
temperature of the camels at rest was about 100.3° F. The

            * Our thermometers did not register below 95° F.