DE. T. S. COBBOLD ON THE PARASITES OE ELEPHANTS. 251 



respecting the parasitic diseases of Elephants ; and what he states about the habits of these pachyderms 

 affords a clue to the source of fluke-infection. Of course, he wrote at a time when it was not known 

 that freshwater mollusks, especially those frequenting marshy grounds, were the responsible media of 

 fluke-infection. Captain Williamson says : — " The Elephant, like the Buffalo, delights in wallowing, 

 and never thrives so well as when he is allowed to visit a rapid stream, there to exercise himself in 

 swimming, as well as to lie immersed and cool himself." Further on he says : — " Elephants are much 

 troubled with worms, for the cure of which complaint the Elephant cats earth ; this acts both as an 

 absorbent and operates as a powerful aperient. Those who may have kept Elephants for years, and have 

 not attended to the minutiae, have yet to learn that the Elephant, being sensible of his malady, resorts 

 to this simple remedy voluntarily ; all the mohout has to do on such an occasion is to keep him from 

 eating other food, but to allow him abundance of drink. If the fajces be inspected there will be seen 

 an amazing number of moving objects, which so much resemble pieces of sugar-cane or of green bough 

 as to require some attention to distinguish. They are ordinarily about the size of a grain of oats, and 

 from their peculiar form no doubt prove particularly distressing and injurious to the stomach and 

 intestines." In making this brief extract I have omitted one or two words and synonymized another. 

 It is clear that Williamson was speaking of the Nematodes, and was probably unacquainted with the 

 fluke-disorder. Referring to the intestinal worms, he remarks the rapid decomposition of Elephants 

 after death, as a ground of apology for not having by dissection ascertained more precisely the true " seat 

 of this disease." He shows that the administration of the " solution of the Kallah-nimok, or bit-nobeu 

 (the quantity, perhaps, of four ounces to as many gallons or more of water)," is amongst the best 

 remedies that could be selected. Williamson says this di - ug " is well known as the most common 

 purgative in use throughout India." On the authority of Dr. E. J. Waring, I may state that it is 

 merely " an impure chloride of sodium, containing a varying proportion of sulphuret of iron." It is, 

 Waring adds, " a very popular Hindu nostrum." 



On the subject of earth-swallowing, the statements of Williamson are quite in harmony with the 

 opinions held in India at the present day. As Mr. George Fleming has remarked, the same opinions 

 are recorded by Captain Forsyth. This sportsman says : — " Elephants arc very liable to intestinal 

 worms. They generally cure themselves when they \_i.c. the worms] get very troublesome, by swallowing 

 from ten to twenty pounds of earth. They always select a red-coloured earth for the purpose. In about 

 twelve hours after, purging commences and all the worms come away. When this occurs the hard 

 food should be stopped for a week, fodder only being allowed, and a ball of spices should be given every 

 day. Some Elephants will not eat earth when they require it, and they are considered a very bad lot in 

 consequence." Probably most of us have witnessed this earth-eating habit of which Indian writers 

 make so much. With others I have watched the same habit on the part of the African Elephants at the 

 Zoological Gardens in the summer time. It is one thing to observe a common-place fact, and quite 

 another to accept popular inferences. The credit for intelligent self-doctoring which the mahouts ascribe 

 to Elephants, is on a par with certain other tales that are told us respecting the wonderful self-culture 

 and instinct of these animals. Assistant Commissary-General Hawkes and other officers, both civil and 

 military, with whom I have conversed, seemed all more or less committed to this view. Speaking of the 

 Amphistomes as Masuri, Hawkes says : — " These parasites appear to be very generally present in the 

 Elephant. When their numbers are few, the host is probably not much inconvenienced ; but when 

 present in any great quantity they undoubtedly cause much irritation. When this is felt the animal 

 instinctively resorts to a simple and effectual remedy : he eats a quantity of earth, which purges him 

 thoroughly, and expels the Amphistoma. The Mahawats are of opinion that whilst the Elephant is 

 eating earth to relieve himself of the pests, the daily allowance of rice should be scrupulously withheld ; 

 and they say that if the rice, which is giveu uncooked, is eaten by the animal under these circumstances, 

 excessive purgation is induced which frequently results in death." Colonel Hawkes adds that the 



