34 



LuNGUN is parasitical tlian-Loea, It is the most frequent^ disease 

 of governinent elephants, and proves fatal in some cases, such as 

 when it occurs among young animals, improperly fed and tended, 

 as in the notorious outbreak among Sangar's Circus Elephants 

 described by me in the Medical Examiner, 1878, p. 886. Death 

 results from exhaustion, which is caused by the drain on the sys- 

 tem effected by these animal parasites in two ways, firstly, by ir- 

 ritation causing profuse diarrhoea, secondly (in all probability) by 

 direct removal of blood from the mucous membrane of the bowels 

 to which they adhere with the greatest tenacity by means of their 

 suckers. I wish it to be clearly understood that although the 

 animal dies from exhaustion of which the parasites are the cause, 

 it is only because they are present in very large numbers that they, 

 aro enabled to produce such serious effects, and they do so the 

 more readily when the elephant they invade is already weakened. 

 Almost every Government elephant in India has some of these 

 flukes in him, in some cases they become so numerous and cause 

 such irritation that purging sets, and thus they are got rid of, in a 

 few cases however the system of the elephant is not strong enough 

 to I'esist their attack. Parasites of a closely allied species occasion- 

 ally cause the death of horses in India; Dr. Cobbold, indeed, con- 

 siders that the true elephant Amphistome has also been obtained 

 from the horse. Symptoms. Those of ordinary diarrhoea of a severe 

 and persistent character, preceded by a tendency to eat earth 

 which renders the faeces muddy, and also the dung contains, gene- 

 rally in enormous numbers, small ti-anslucent bodies of a pink 

 colour resembling soaked barley gi-ains (| of an inch by J).- 

 Careful examination will make it evident that these are 

 Amphistomes, and will disclose a circular sucker at each extre- 

 mity of their elongated bodies. When the diarrhoea has per- 

 sisted for some time the symptoms of zerbad set in, oedematous- 

 effusions occurring about the head and shoulders and the animal ■ 

 sinking from debUity. Post mortem examination if made immediate- - 

 ly after death shows these parasites adherent by their suckers to ' 

 the mucous membrane of the Large Intestine, some also being 

 free in the cavity of the bowel. The Intestine exhibits signs of ■ 

 irritation especially in the form of gelatinous effusion between the 

 coats — generally other parasites are to be found in the Stomach, 

 Intestines, or Liver — these whether Bots, Eound worms, or Liver " 



