APPENDICES. 



selectio:n" and treatment of elephants. 



There are few subjects on whicli so little is generally known as 

 that of the diseases and unsoundnesses, and the general management 

 of tame elephants. Although there are many elephants under the 

 charge of officers of different public departments in India, as well as 

 a good number which belong to private persons, it always seems to 

 be assumed that to attain to any acquaintance with the nature of the 

 animal and its veterinary treatment is a hopeless task. The conse- 

 quence is that their mahouts, or native keepers, than whom a more 

 ignorant or careless class does not exist, are commonly allowed to do 

 "with them what they choose, very often to their serious detriment, 

 and sometimes complete disablement. They profess to possess many 

 secret specifics, most of which are useless, and only intended to 

 extract money from their masters on the pretence of purchasing 

 drugs ; and many of them founded on the grossest superstition. For 

 instance, it is common among them to give the elephant a piece of 

 a tiger's liver to make him courageous ! and, in order to make him 

 see well at night, to thrust down his throat the great yellow eyes of 

 the brown horned owl torn fresh from the living bird ! 



Having had much to do with elephants, both in my private 

 possession and in the forest establishment, I am induced to put on 

 record what I know of their management, not with the idea of 

 furnishing a complete guide to their treatment, but in the hope that 

 it may go some way towards obviating some of the mismanagement 

 they are now so generally subjected to, and also be of assistance to 

 persons engaged in purchasing elephants. In a rough country like 

 the forest tracts of Central India, elephants, when properly looked 

 after, are the most useful of animals, whether for riding purposes or 

 for carrying baggage and other heavy work. When neglected, how- 

 ever, they are subject to numerous small ailments, which have led 

 some persons to reject them for such services. 



On looking over an elephant, the most inexperienced eye would 

 at once detect the presence of the disease called by natives Zhhdd. 

 There are two varieties of it, called Asl and Sukhd. The former is a 



