61 



HOKN T0MO0ES AND OVEEaEOWTHS WITH DfSTOETIOK OP THE TOB 



NAILS sometimes requii-e surgical attention, V. S. Nunn relates 

 a case (in Veterinary Journal, NoYomber, 1882) where the outer toe 

 nail of the left fore foot had grown to a sharp point in an inward 

 direction curving to the right and causing a deep wound on the 

 left side of the second toe, causing lameness of the aninml. Thia 

 he removed with an ordinary carpenter's saw, it cut like India 

 Rubber. The parts were subsequently dressed with cherpine 

 oil and rapid recovery took place. Slymm describes, somewhat 

 indefinitely, fforni/ /M»grM5 near the nails, "not hurtful to the 

 animal but liable to run into sores during the wefc weather, it 

 should be removed by cutting or applying the following : — Take 

 a couple of dozen of marking nuts, boil them with oil for a half 

 hour, strain the decoction through a cloth, and apply the oil to the 

 fungus. Care should be taken in preparing (and using) the oil that 

 none should touch the hands or come in contact with the face." 

 (J It will be noted that although the diseases of the feet of the 

 Elephant are numerous and severe, and such as are liable to 

 absolutely incapacitate him for service, they are mostly due to 

 want of care in his management and so are preventible. - 



CHAPTER IX.— WOUNDS AND OTHER SURGICAL 

 CONDITIONS. 



We need not enter into detail concerning the nature and treat- 

 ment of wounds and tumours in general as seen in the elephant, 

 since they differ only in very minor respects fi'om those of other 

 domesticated animals. We have already treated of gunshot wounds 

 in relation to the skull as causing death, also of the very great 

 import to be attached to injuries of the Trunk. There is a curious 

 idea prevalent that wild elephants will plug gunshot wounds with 

 lumps of clay. Sir E. Tennent in his valuable and most interesting 

 work on the Natural History of Ceylon, feelingly aUudos to the 

 amount of suffering which must result to elephants from the num- 

 ber of non-fatal gunshot wounds which they receive, and quotes 

 Grordon Cumming's account of Elephant Shooting in South Africa, 

 which he justly considers loathsome in the extreme. -. There are 

 two surgical conditions, however, to which special allusion must 

 be made, on account of their importance on active service. 



Capped elbow has been noticed by V. S. Nunn (Veterinary 

 Journal, November 1882), as a constant source of trouble. The 



