35 



Flukes possibly assist in giving riso to irritation of the bowels. 

 The other organs of the body are auajmic and more or less 

 dropsical and the blood is very deficient in colour. There are 

 several qaestions about these parasites and the disorder to which 

 they give rise which have not yet been definitely settled. 



(1.) Does the amphistome suck blood from the host — Dr. 

 Cobbold objects to the conclusion that it does, saying this would 

 necessitate the fluke relaxing its hold to expel any of the blood it 

 could not digest. We have no evidence that it does not do so, 

 the worms are often found free in the bowel and their reddish 

 colour seems to be due to blood. 



(2.) Gilchrist is evidently somewhat " mixed up" over the 

 parasites expelled in Lungun. Dr. Cobbold's researches have 

 left little doubt as to the true position and characters of these 

 worms : That which is described by Gilchrist as the " mussodee 

 of the mahawats" may be either the amphistome or Fasciola 

 Jacksoni such as we shall directly describe. All the round worma 

 are included by him under the names soorti, shotee, chotee. 



(3.) Do the elephants select a special kind of earth in these 

 cases ? Forsyth thinks they prefer red earth, but practical obser- 

 vation shows that they will take what they can get rather than 

 go without. It seems that wild elephants get rid of such parasites 

 by resorting to salt licks, the Chloride of Sodium of which acta 

 not only as an aid to digestion, but also as an antiparasitic and 

 cathartic. Experience shows that Kala Nimak (black salt) is 

 the best agent for use in these cases. Lungun is often associated 

 with deficient salt ration or misappropriation of the salt allowance, 

 which is very liable to occur since this necessary of life is heavily 

 taxed and proves an expensive article in India Deductions 

 from the pay of the mahout while his animal is suffering from this 

 disease will tend to shorten its duration and lessen its frequency. 



(4.) Is the earth the cause of purgation ? It is said that by 

 instinct the animal eats earth to free himself from the parasites 

 by thus inducing purgation — also the mahouts give a bad name , 

 to elephants which do not periodically eat earth, and say that 

 they "do" badly. Other Herbivora when suffering from abdominal 

 irritation and indigestion exhibit depravity of appetite and eat 

 earth; does the elephant simply do this or is he guided by special 

 instinct ? The fact that he eats earth is the more remarkable 



