56 



Gilchrist describes A Paralysis op the external ear, which 

 however seems to be rather an indication of genei-al atony than 

 a disease per se ; it indicates the necessity for a course of tonics. 

 ITie Internal Ear has been described by Sir Everard Home 

 (Philosophical Transactions, 1823) as having a muscular drum 

 or Tympanic membrane, and so, although adapted to hearing 

 sounds from a distance, quite nonmusical. But Home's conclu- 

 sions are generally open to doubt, and even the anatomical 

 statement has been denied, while there is ample evidence to show 

 that the elephant can appreciate musical sounds and be guided by 

 modulations of the voice. It is said that Deafness is not unfre- 

 quent in wild elephants, especially " Rogues," and that animals 

 thus affected are proverbially dangerous, morose, and vicious. 



THE EYE. — It is well known that almost the only chance of 

 escaping an elephant in the open is to pass obliquely out of his 

 range of vision ; this range is limited in consequence mainly of the 

 shortness of the neck. The eyes are small as also are the optic 

 nerves. The appendages of the eye present some very remarkable 

 peculiarities. There are fibres of the orbicularis palpebrarum 

 running from both upper and lower lid to the Third Eyelid, and on 

 to the surface of the latter pours the secretion of a gland, 

 Hardei'ian, which lies inside the orbit against the Internal Rectus 

 muscle. This entirely replaces the true lachrymal apparatus, 

 consequently we cannot correctly speah of true tears of the 

 elephant, although Slymm feelingly describes the tears as rolling 

 down the cheeks of animivls cruelly maltreated with the ankuss. 

 There is a depressor muscle to the lower eyelid and a muscular 

 orbital periosteum. The diseases of the eye of the elephant 

 present no special features. 



Conjunctivitis is indicated by catarrhal flow from the eyes, 

 congestive engorgement of the membrane lining the eyelids, and 

 opacity of the Cornea. The natives say that it results from giving 

 peepul leaves, and in too large quantities, as food. Forsyth tells 

 us that the eyes very readily sympathise with the digestive 

 apparatus, any disorder of the latter giving rise to Opacity of the 

 Cornea, which is also attributable in some cases to the heat of the 

 sun — hence very few elephants are seen with absolutely sound eyes. 

 Treatment; fomentation with infusion of poppy leaves, exclusion 

 of light, and dressings of acetate of lead are required. When 



