Volume 10 | Issue 2 Article 6

1948 Pack-Mules In Burma P. E. Smith Iowa State College

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Recommended Citation Smith, P. E. (1948) "Pack-Mules In Burma," Iowa State University Veterinarian: Vol. 10 : Iss. 2 , Article 6. Available at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/iowastate_veterinarian/vol10/iss2/6

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Iowa State University Veterinarian by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Pack-Mliles In Burma

P. E. Smith, D.V.M.

Pack animal units served in Italy and aid man, walked back and forth along the France during the war, but I have been column of their troops, constantly look­ told that Burma was the only theater of ing for maladjusted loads, cinches too tight operation where pack animals were used or too loose, breast harness or breeching almost exclusively for ground transpor­ incorrectly adjusted and other trouble tation in the combat zone. On the moun­ makers. tain trails and in combat we were limited Our supplies were brought to us every to the incongruous combination of mule 3 to 5 days by C-47 cargo planes. All and air transport. fragile equipment and supplies were drop­ Our mules were shipped from New ped by parachute. Grain for the mules Orleans to take the Atlantic route, and was always free dropped. From 6 to 8 after some 2 months at sea they arrived double burlap bags were pushed out of in Calcutta. From Calcutta they went the planes at a time. Mule loads varied by rail to Ledo, which took about 20 days a little each day as rations for men and with only one detrainment for exercise. mules were consumed or new supplies Despite their treatment, the mules arrived were added. The loads varied, and be­ at our advance base in Ledo in very good cause of the awkward shapes, sizes, shape and with an extremely low mor­ weights and hurried loading. there were tality rate. After a few days of shoeing, mules and muleskinners falling out of fitting saddles, and distributing loads, we the column from time to time for readjust­ were ready to set out on our series of ment of loads. A loose or unbalanced missions whereby we would ultimately pack made back sores and unnecessarily reach our goal of Myitkyina, Burma. One tired the mule. Sometimes part of a out of 3 infantrymen was assigned a mule load would fall loose and scare the mule to lead, and each man in the pack troops who would take off through the jungle had a mule. Our strength at the start dragging a tenacious soldier who was de­ of the campaign was about 300 mules per termined to stop him. Invariably one of battalion, with 3 battalions in the unit. these runaways meant trouble for the vet­ One veterinarian and 4 aid men were as­ erinary detachment in the form of rope signed to each battalion. burns, cuts, bruises and occasionally a Fortunately for the veterinary detach­ bad sprain or strain. ment, the infantrymen, inexperienced in When we hit mountainous terrain our handling mules, soon were taking pride troubles really began. Prior to this time, in the accomplishments of their animals. our rest periods had been taken on fairly They saw to it that cinches were not too level ground so that loads would not strain tight. that their animals were fed and the mules' backs, but this principle had watered and allowed to graze whenever to be forgotten on long slopes where the time permitted. Then too, the packmas­ trail was often so narrow that the mules ters in each unit soon became the pride of could not even be turned sideways for the men. When they could, packmasters relief. Water alone became the determ­ together with the veterinary officer or an ining factor in selecting a bivouac area.

Spring, 1948 Page 83 If there were small grazing patches, bam­ rolled over, got up, and started eating boo or elephant grass to cut for the mules, leaves off the bamboo overhanging the the area was perfect. Advance parties stream. to select an area would try to find one of the scarce streams a reasonable distance from the last bivouac area. Some days 3 Salvage Project miles was a long, tough march. Other times 8 tor 10 miles could be made. The Before the entire serial had passed this necessity for water points made some particular spot, we had 8 live mules and marches longer than they should have 5 dead ones down in the ravine. We really been, and others shorter. had a worth while salvage project: 8 good The average day's march was planned mules whose f.o.b. Burma value was to end as soon as possible after 3: 00 p.m., something over $2,000 each. Dollar value, so that the mules could be unloaded to however, meant little where they were. rest in the afternoon. Mule loading us­ Human replacements could be flown in ually started at 6: 30 a.m., and the march by liaison planes, when there was enough started at 7 a.m. I have seen tl).e end of rice paddy field space, but not mules. the column pull into their bivouac areas They were the only means of ground after dark, a good 12 hours of ups-and­ transportation for guns, ammunition, downs behind them. The mules had car­ medical supplies, feed, and other supplies. ried their loads the entire time, perhaps With entrenching shovels, the men cut a without water since early morning, and set of stair steps lj2 mile long over which with no promise of anything green that the mules were led back to the trail. night. After some 3% months of walking down jungle trails which took us through val­ Mule Stories leys, across rivers, up and down moun­ Every day had its mule story, but on tains and brought us into 15 minor skirm­ one particular day, one of the more dra­ ishes and 4 major battles, we arrived at matic episodes featuring these faithful our destination, Myitkyina, Burma. The beasts of burden was enacted. The serial air strip at Myitkyina was over 900 miles was following one of the narrow trails by ground travel from where we started. cut in the side of a mountain; the moving We reached there with about 50 less column didn't improve the safety for those mules than when we began the cam­ behind. Some 180 ft. below, ran a creek paign. Our losses were due to varied in a deep ravine. Along came one of causes. We lost quite a number of ani­ the mules loaded down with a good 180 mals from enemy artillery and mortar pounds of chests and top load. The nar­ fire. Accidental deaths, particularly row ledge gave way under him. On the through the mountains, also accounted slope of 60 degrees, there was no hope for for many of the mules. General emacia­ a footing as gravity took its natural course, tion and exhaustion was another big fac­ and the mule rolled, not easily nor gently, tor accounting for our losses. As yet, but head over heels with increasing mo­ we had been very fortunate in that we mentum for 150 ft. until he jammed be­ had not encountered any infectious or tween two trees. The top load jolted loose, contagious diseases. Our work had been the chests burst open, records and supplies primarily with saddle galls, rope bums, littered the path the mule had battered lacerations, laminitis, and some bloating; through the jungle. We cut the cinches the biggest problem was screw worms. holding the pack saddle which was keep­ Every scratch or leech bite, any abrasion ing the mule jammed between the trees. even very minute, had to be painted As he was cut loose, he fell the remaining thoroughly with pine tar or it would be­ 30 ft. all but straight down into the shal­ come infested with screw worms. Several low creek, landing on his back. It was different times when mules were brought then that a mule's paternal inheritance to us with a severe standing leg lameness, and G. 1. training showed forth. He calmly we discovered the entire frog undermined

84 The Veterinary Student with screw worms. Quite often sheaths may show an edema of the underline and of geldings would become infested and lower extremities. One of the earliest occasionally even the glans penis. visible signs of infection is an icterus no­ We had several animals brought to ticeable in the mucosae and the eyes us which showed a severe swelling of the where small hemorrhages also appear. soft structure of the hard palate. It would After several days, the animal regains nor­ extend down as much a % in. below the malcy, only to have the symptoms repeated upper incisors. We were feeding a mixed in several weeks with gradual emaciation grain of barley and gram. Gram appeared and death. The disease, if left to run its to be quite similar to very hard, dry peas, course, would end in death within a per­ and we believed it to be the cause of the iod of several days to several months. The swellings. At any rate, on the first 3 or 4 trypanosome is spread by biting flies and animals brought to us, we incised these other insect vectors, so smudges were swellings in several places but in a few kept burning in the stable areas, and refuse days they were back. We finally resorted kept removed insofar as possible. Animals to removing the soft tisue posterior to were stabled on high ground and all the incisors two bars. We controlled the brush was removed from within and hemorrhage by giving the animal a nose around the area. Cattle and dogs were bag full of grain immediately following reservoirs for the causative organism, the operation. This operation proved to so any animals near the stable areas were be the answer to the problem. blood tested. Insect repellants were used Our experience with infectious diseases when they were available. Some units was limited to surra. Doctor Frank J. used prophylactic treatments of ampytrol. Linn, of Sheffield, Iowa, formerly with the Chinese 1st Army in Burma, related to me some of his experiences with this dis­ ease and others in the Chinese animals, Treatment as follows: surra caused more loss than any of the other diseases in the Chinese Ampytrol is an arsenical developed by animals. The incidence of infection rang­ the British for intravenous injection in ed from 5 to 35 percent in different divi­ the treatment and prophylaxis of surra. sions. It was administered at the rate of 0.3 gram per 100 Ibs. of body weight. The weight of animals was estimated with a measur­ Surra ing tape much like the old cattle weight measuring tape used in this country. The The causative organism of surra is Try­ ampytrol was furnished in powder form panosoma evansi which is easily detected and mixed with water that had been boil­ by a direct smear of fresh blood under ed, and then injected slowly. The early the low or high power lens of a micro­ treatments resulted in many sloughs and scope. The usual procedure was to ex­ formation of cold abscesses. These were amine a slide under low power until mo­ found not only at the site of injection but tion is detected among the blood cells, and also around the shoulders, croup and legs. then examine that point under the high Calcium lactate was then added to help power. This would usually reveal the prevent shock and sloughing subsided trypanosome which on the unstained slide considerably. This treatment was con­ is visible by the refraction of light through tinued at intervals of several days as long certain parts of its body so that it resem­ as symptoms of the disease persisted. Some bled a very minute filaria. The incubation units used ampytrol in the above dosage period of surra is said to be from 4 to 14 at 30 day intervals as prophylaxis. How­ days. There is an initial temperature rise ever, due to the systemic reactions en­ of several degrees the first 24 to 36 hours, countered, our particular unit did not fol­ then a gradual fall back to normal. The low this practice. On post mortem, ani­ animal shows a marked depression, and mals with surra showed a generalized ic-

Spring, 1948 85 terus with sero-gelatinous infiltrations of animals was the only means of control. the body walls. When these animals were observed, the Several cases of piroplasmosis were extremities and shoulders were covered diagnosed, but its prevalence was not suf­ with purulent ulcers and cicatrices of pre­ ficient to cause alarm. The symptoms ob­ vious ulcers. The frequency of primary served in these animals were surprisingly infection of the limbs is due to infection like those of surra, but with less cachexia. from the straw and feces, in which the or­ It was differentiated by microscopic ex­ ganism, Cryptococcus farciminosus~ may amination of stained blood smears. Piro­ remain alive for long periods of time. The plasma can be seen inside the red blood lymphatics of the infected areas were en­ cells. This disease, also spread by insect larged and beaded. The animals were in bites, was controlled by picketing the ani­ comparatively good flesh despite the ex­ mals in cleared areas and keeping these tent of their lesions. areas as clean as possible. Smudges were Anthrax losses were small, probably also used extensively. Treatment con­ due to the fact that all animals were vac­ sisted of arsenicals injected intravenously. cinated at intervals of 6 months with a bacterin produced at Mukketwar Veter­ Filariasis inary College in India. Filariasis was encountered frequently. Glanders was much less prevalent in Filaria sanguinis equi, the causative or­ Burma than in China. I was told that ganism, was described by Lingard, in the probable reason was that the economic India, in 1906, but little seems to be known value would not permit an animal to be about this organism. New animals added destroyed in China, despite the known in­ to an infected area are slow to contract fection. All animals were mallein tested the disease. When the disease is con­ at least every 6 months with very few tracted there is a progressive cachexia and reactions being found. However, 2 ani­ a voracious appetite. Animals will stand mals captured from the Japanese at one and eat hay for hours at a time without point were infected to an extreme degree. moving from their tracks. In the later One showed an advanced infection of the stages the extremities become edematous nasal type, and the other with a large num­ and the animal shows a marked depres­ ber of farcy buds particularly on the hind sion. Diagnosis is confirmed by finding quarters. the filaria in fresh blood. Dr. R. W. Davis of Colorado State studied the filaria quite extensively; he used a hanging drop Tetanus Unknown To Chinese for examination. The organism seems Veterinarians quite temperamental and disappears from the blood stream at times for no apparent reason. They appear to be more prevalent Tetanus is mentioned only for its sur­ in the blood stream in the evenings than prising absence. No animals were given during the day. Many cases were diag­ antitoxin or toxoid, yet animals received nosed when fresh blood smears were being gunshot wounds and other puncture examined for the presence of surra. No wounds through fleshy parts of the body treatment was found effective. Dr. Davis, with never a symptom appearing. Grad­ using arsenicals, made the filaria disap­ uates of Chinese Veterinary Colleges pro­ pear from the blood stream, but only tem­ fessed never to have seen a case. porarily. The mules used so successfully in the Epizootic lymphangitis was observed Burma campaign were driven on toward only once in ponies used by the Chinese Kunming, China after hostilities ceased in in the first retreat from Burma. These Burma. Before they reached their destin­ ponies showed an incidence of over 50 per­ ation, surra had started taking its toll, but cent infected when they arrived in India. those loyal beasts of burden had perform­ Quarantine and destruction of infected ed their duties well.

86 The Veterinary Student