60 



Occasionally autifly dressings are necessary. This disease is 

 very obstinate and during treatment a leathern sole must be 

 kept tacked by nails to the horn to prevent dirt entering the ulcer. 

 Cracked Heel, " (b'a/Aan,'' occurs at the junction of the horn 

 with the ordinary skin. It is principally serious as depending 

 on the constitutional state and being liable to recur every rainy 

 season (Forsyth). The grand essential in its treatment and 

 prevention is to keep the feet dry. The natives advocate wash- 

 ing the feet with Hookah panee in this disease, and morning and 

 evening apply nitric acid with strips of copper, rubbing it well 

 over the soles of the feet (Hood). 



Inflammation op the Feet has been observed as a result of 

 too free use of mussauls, high feeding, and prolonged work. It 

 has been described as Laminitis from its resemblance to the 

 disease of that name as affecting the horse — but the main seat of 

 inflammation is, here, the sensitive sole. This disease generally 

 results in a shedding of the Hoof-slipper in consequence of serous 

 effusion between the horny structures and the sensitive parts 

 which produce them ; it sometimes occurs as a complication of 

 Foot and IMouth disease. This disorder is very painful, the animal 

 cannot stand, oozing takes place at the margin of the slipper, and 

 fever runs high. Treatment consists in fomentations and other 

 antiphlogistic measures, and, after the horn has been shed, care- 

 ful protection of the foot until new horn has been produced in the 

 form of a fresh slipper. In these cases death has been known to 

 result from mortification setting in. "We have a suspicion 'that 

 the disease called Ghowrung (vide p. 65), should be inserted here. 

 Ceacked Sole is a sort of " chapping" of the sole, in which 

 ulcers form along the natural groves of the part and prove obstin- 

 ate iu healing and liable to fungous granulations. It results 

 generally from a foul state of the elephant-standing, and " is a 

 common complaint in the dry and hot weather, and principally 

 with animals which have been used for working in water during 

 the previous wet season" (Slym). Treatment must be directed 

 towards protecting the diseased parts and keeping them at rest 

 by ipeans of bulky adhesives — such as " Chob" — or by tacking 

 on a leathern sole or putting on an elephant boot. 



Rope galls, often so severe as to leave permanent white scars 

 sometimes result from the ropes with which the animal is restrain- 

 ed just after capture. They frequently take many months to heal, 



