54 



spots on other species of animals. The fact that the scars of 

 large wounds are white does not disprove this view. 



Boils of various kinds are most frequent in the elephant, ap- 

 pearing especially where the skin is thin, as on the face and inside 

 the thighs, as circumscribed hard swellings which take a long time 

 to " point " if left alone and will meanwhile do much mischief 

 by the burrowing of pus beneath the skin. This is a form of 

 mischief familiar to us in the horse in the case of deep seated 

 abscesses in the region of the neck or back. It is more frequent 

 in the elephant because of the amount and great strength of its 

 fibrous tissue and also the looseness of the skin. Boils and 

 abscesses of various kinds in this animal require to be treated 

 boldly. An exploring needle, such as an ordinary trochar and 

 canula, may be used to prove the presence of pus, then the 

 skin boldly incised with a razor in a firmly fixed handle or 

 an ordinary amputating knife plunged into the tumour to evacuate 

 the pus by free incision. Oliphant found a Reade's Enema syringe 

 very useful for washing out abscess cavities in such cases. Gene- 

 rally it is advisable, when the boils are numerous and extensive, 

 to administer a cathartic dose and follow it up with diuretics. 

 After abscesses have been opened they must be dressed with 

 tincture of myrrh, oi*, preferably, turpentine ointment which 

 will keep away flies. Before they are fit to open and for a short 

 time after incision free fomentation is necessary. There can be 

 no doubt that boils are generally due to derangement of the 

 internal organs, especially the liver, and depravity of the blood. 

 True boils are seldom accompanied by ill health. Occasionally 

 however, they do not suppurate freely but persist as hard circum- 

 scribed swellings and finally disappear without bui'sting and the 

 animal falls away rapidly. These are cases in which the boils are 

 contemporary with rather than the cause of Zerbad, however, 

 sometimes an erujjtion of blind boils constitutes a symptom of 

 that disease. 



Ulceration of the Skin or the Forehead — is not infrequent. 

 This part, as a result of exposure to the sun, is predisposed to 

 disorder, it is sometimes punctured viciously with the instrument 

 known as the Ankuss or Ilendoor Kookee, or bruised and abraded 

 extensively when the forehead, unprotected by a pad, is pressed 

 against a load or used in overthrowing a wall. It is said that 



