260 PATRICK BLAIR, SURGEON APOTHECARY. [Sess. cxxt. 
The elephant with which Dr. Blair had to do, had been 
exhibited over a large part of Europe, and ultimately found 
its way to these northern regions, and Dr, Blair in his paper 
heads a paragraph “ How THE ELEPHANT FELL IN OUR WAY.” 
After some stay in Edinburgh, her keepers conducted her 
to the North, and on their return came along the sea-coast, 
but there being but few places on the road for making 
advantage, by long and hurried marches they came towards 
Dundee, and when they were within a mile of this place 
the poor animal, much fatigued and wearied, fell down. 
All their endeavours to get her on foot again proved 
ineffectual. What followed smacks of the wise men of 
Gotham. “They diggd a deep Ditch, to whose Side 
she might lean till she were sufficiently rested; but that 
provd her Ruin; for shortly afterwards there fell great 
Rains, which filled the Ditch with Water. So that, after 
lying in the puddle a whole Day, she died next Morning, 
being Saturday, April 27th, 1706.” When the keepers saw 
that she was dead, they came to the magistrates of the 
burgh, and having made oath that they had done her no 
designed injury, they got a certified attestation to that effect. 
The magistrate, Captain George Yeaman, then Bailie, after- 
wards Provost, and ultimately Member for Dundee in the 
United Parliament in London, was made a present of the 
“Cadaver” or carcase. Captain Yeaman went to see the dead 
animal, taking Dr. Blair with him “ in order to have the Skin 
flea’d off, which,” says the Doctor, “was his chief design, 
and the Body opened, which Was mine. As I was very 
glad of the Opportunity, so was T concern’d because of the 
disadvantage I was at, which kept me from prosecuting what 
I design’d: For there went out a great Multitude, the Day 
was very hot, and being the last Day of the Week the 
Subject could admit of no delay, especially since it lay in 
the high Way and open Fields; so that I scarce had any 
convenience to pry into, or see anything of moment, 1auch 
less to enquire nicely into the Structure of Parts, as the 
Subject required.” And then the unwieldy hands of the 
“unruly Butchers” were making sad havoc in their progress 
of opening the animal, and, “ whether I would or not, they 
did so slash the Sternum and mangle several of the Cartilages, 
as to render them useless, cutting and tearing wheresoever 
