32 



blood, aud ibe administration of doses of Gum Opium witli 

 Calomel — oven wben tbis is carried out judiciously tbe case 

 generally proves fatal. 



DiARRnasA; assumes two fomis in tbo elephant, tbe non- 

 parasitic aud tlie parasitic: It is. denoted by a "loose state 

 of the bowels," the fa3cal evacuations being watery and foul 

 smelling. Tboro is generally some abdominal pain and, when 

 the disarrangement has been present for a few days, its effects 

 are marked by loss of condition, and dullness, with debibty. This 

 is generally an effort of nature to tbi-ow off some irritant from the 

 bowels the living membrane of which becomes congested and 

 even, later on, inflamed. The ordinary mucous secretion of the 

 bowel is increased in quantity and a . considei-able amount of 

 watery matter is thrown into the bowel with it. The animal 

 becomes somewhat feverish and very thirsty in. consequence of 

 this drain on the liquid constituents of the blood. As in other 

 forms of indigestion, the appetite is very capricious and the 

 patient will eat mud and sand ; the latter symptom being most) 

 frequent in the parasitic form with which we shall deal more in 

 detail presently. Among the most frequent causes are food impro- 

 perly prepared or of bad quality or irritating properties, also ex- 

 posure to cold, and bathing the animal when heated. Coarse in- 

 nutritious fodder is especially Hable to induce the chronic form. 



Treatment : — must be directed, not so much to stopping the 

 diarrhoea, as to regulating its effects on the system. Indeed, as 

 nature's means of removing iri'itants from the bowels, the purg- 

 ing is to be encouraged in the first place — by small doses of 

 aloes and cordials ; later the astringents, such as chalk, catechu, 

 and galls may be required. Eice conjee should be given liberally, 

 and the animal nursed and sheltered in every way possible. The 

 after treatment will consist in very careful regulation of the diet. 



Dysenteey : When inflammation becomes confirmed as a 

 sequela of diarrhoea the evacuations become coated with slimy 

 lymph and intermingled with blood — and they are either soft or 

 hard, or of a mixed consistency, small bard particles floating in 

 watery slime and blood. Fever runs high, there is much 

 straining, and the animal attempts to find relief by pressing the 

 belly against the ground. Such cases generally prove rapidly 

 fatal. Treatment : Food to be given only in small quantities 



