APPENDIX 445 



their hand upon the wound ; they also try to pull out arrows 

 with their hands, just as they are accustomed to pull out 

 splinters of wood or thorns very successfully when these are 

 accessible. How appropriate, too, is the method of progression 

 adopted by dogs when they have broken one of their legs! 

 When the first pain and agony is over they soon find out how 

 to get about on three legs, and learn how to hold the broken 

 leg that the fracture heals without any shortening to speak of 

 even though no bandage is applied. 



The licking of the wound is simply an instinct ; the removal 

 of thorns or splinters of wood by apes implies a certain degree 

 of reflection. A still higher degree may be seen in the 

 elephant, which, as Bouchinet states for a fact, having a large 

 leech in his left axilla, removed it very skilfully with a splinter 

 of bamboo. If this tale is really true it shows that a specially 

 highly gifted animal may make for itself a suitable instrument 

 for purposes of surgical aid. 



These evidences of the capabilities of the animal mind are 

 of uncommon interest as regards the comprehension of the 

 beginnings of therapeutics ; but it is still more interesting to 

 find that the same motives which have led mankind on to the 

 higher developments of the art, obtain among animals, the 

 motives, namely, of sympathy and fellow-feeling for another's 

 pain. Indeed, the fact is beyond dispute that animals can feel 

 sympathy for each other and a desire to go to each other's 

 assistance. I will not now relate the many oft-told instances in 

 which animals have had compassion on those of their kind 

 which through extreme youth or age were unable to help them- 

 selves. In Ludwig Biichner's book on the love of life in the 

 animal world, many examples have been collected. We are 

 only concerned here with the help rendered to one another by 

 animals in cases of illness or accident. In the London Zoologi- 

 cal Gardens were two baboons who inhabited the same cage, 

 and one of them was bitten in the arm by a dog-faced monkey 

 who lived next him. The wounded ape ran howling into the 

 middle of the cage with his arm held tight against his breast. 

 His comrade went up to him, took him in his arms and con- 

 tinued to soothe him in affectionate tones until he ceased his 

 lamentations. But the mutual helpfulness of animals is not 

 confined to such expressions of sympathy. It is quite touch- 

 ing to see the way in which a dog endeavours to support 



