57 



the cornea becomes tliorouglily involved opacity may be associated 

 with ulceration, which, however seldom leads to actual perforation. 

 As the " tears" prove somewhat excoiiating to the skin around 

 the eye, the latter may be protected by inunction with ghee. 

 In cases of ulceration it may be necessary to arouse the nutritive 

 activity of the cornea by touching the ulcers with nitrate of silver. 

 Gilchrist mentions outgrowth from the surface of the cornea as 

 a result of this disease. This is known tecnically as Staphyloma 

 and is called " mothea beenj" by the Mahouts, who recommend a 

 number of coUyria, many of them very prejudicial. Also in 

 treatment of diseases of the eye of the elephant it seems that 

 caustic agents are used to a deleterious extent, as when quick- 

 lime, sulphate of copper, and powdered lunar caustic are blown 

 in between the lids. Many of the severe results of conjunctivitis 

 as described are indubitably the results of malpractice ; non-pro- 

 fessionals when dealing with these cases may content themselves 

 with the simple measures above described. To Veterinary Sur- 

 geons the treatment will prove similar to that to be adopted in 

 the case of the ox or horse. , . 



Opacitt op the Coenea, known as Leucoma or Albvgo, is con- 

 firmed whiteness of the transparent anterior part of the eye -ball. 

 When recent and widespread over the surface some improvement 

 may be expected with time and non-interference. i 



Blindness is rare, but may result from disease. or injuries; 

 occasionally the behaviour of the animal and the non-susceptibility 

 of the eye to light is the only indication — ^it may then be attribu- 

 ted tosome injury to or pressure on the optic nerve or to great losa 

 of blood or disease of the brain. In other cases the transparent 

 parts of the eye may be opaque. This infirmity seriously inter- 

 feres with the usefulness of the animal and is generally incurable. 

 The best way to stop a run-away elephant is to blindfold him. 



THE FOOT — We have seen that the lower portion of the limbs 

 of the elephant are invested by a peculiar horny modification of 

 the cuticle, which we have termed the " Hoof slipper." This 

 consists of sole and toe-nails. The former is a layer of soft hon;i 

 covering the ground surface, rounder in the fore feet than in the 

 hind, thinning and curling upwards at its posterior margin — ^but 

 .bearing anteriorly and on either side towards the front a variable 

 number of toe nails with which it is fused in the same way as the 



