39 



Inflamation of the Liver is more to be inferred from the absence 

 of any affection of the bowels, or of the head, while the animal 

 shows evident symptoms of the existence of some serious affection, 

 than from the presence of any distinctive symptom or collection 

 of symptoms. Frequently the lungs are consecutively affected and 

 dissections show abscess more or less extensive in the right side of 

 the liver and right lung. The appetite is variable ; but thii'sfc 

 always great." This disease does not seem to be frequent — 

 probably not because elephants in captivity are always given 

 enough exercise but because they are almost always so consider- 

 ably underfed. If called to such a case we would try Sal Am- 

 moniac, which has proved so valuable for Liver disorders in man 

 and the horse. Aloetic doses to act as a laxative, vegetable 

 tonics, and mild liver stimulants may be resorted to, or the 

 use of vegetable bitters may be tried. In acute cases some 

 such treatment as that suggested for enteritis should be 

 adopted. 



CHAPTER V : ON THE RESPIRATORY APPARATUS. 

 The Tecnk or Proboscis almost deserves notice under an 

 independent heading, so varied are its uses and so important is it 

 to the animal. It is an organ of touch, of prehension, of suction, 

 of respiration, also of offence and defence, and as such is essential 

 to the animal and supplants many other organs such as in various 

 animals are accustomed to perform its numerous duties. The 

 Trunk is so special and remarkable an organ as to have attracted 

 careful notice from the eai-liest times. Its anatomy and physio- 

 logy are thoroughly known. The two passages through this 

 organ are something superadded to the ordinary nasal passages 

 the anterior limit of which is indicated by presence of the 

 movable cartilages usual in mammals. From each nostril a tube 

 lined by mucous membrane extends through the trunk to open 

 by a funnel-like end at the free extremity of that organ. These 

 canals lie nearer the anterior part of the trunk than the posterior 

 and preserve about the same diameter throughout — they are 

 united by fibromuscular substance, the red muscular fibres of 

 which run from one to the other and possibly, by slightly approx- 

 imating the mucous walls, they can assist iu the dilatation of the 

 tubes. It seems that the nasal cartilages which occur just pos- 

 terior to an upward bend of the tubes ai-e the obstruction by 



