APPENDICES 



SELECTION AND TREATMENT OF ELEPHANTS 



There are few subjects on which so little is generally known as 

 that of the diseases and unsoundnesses, and the general management 

 of tame elephants. Although there are many elephants under the 

 charge of officers of difEerent pubUc departments in India, as well as 

 a good number which belong to private persons, it always seems to 

 be assumed that to attain to any acquaintance with the nature of the 

 animal and its veterinary treatment is a hopeless task. The conse- 

 quence is that their mahouts, or native keepers, than whom a more 

 ignorant or careless class does not exist, are commonly allowed to do 

 with them what they choose very often to their serious detriment, 

 and sometimes complete disablement. They profess to possess many 

 secret specifics, most of which are useless, and only intended to ex- 

 tract money from their masters on the pretence of purchasing drugs ; 

 and many of them founded on the grossest superstition. For instance, 

 it is common among them to give the elephant a piece of tiger's liver 

 to make him courageous ! And, in order to make him see well at night, 

 to thrust down his throat the great yeUow eyes of the brown homed 

 owl torn fresh from the living bird ! 



Having had much to do with elephants, both in my private pos- 

 session and in the forest establishment, I am induced to put on record 

 what I know of their management, not with the idea of furnishing a 

 complete guide to their treatment, but in the hope that it may go 

 some way towards obviating some of the mismanagement they are 

 now so generally subjected to, and also be of assistance to persons 

 engaged in purchasing elephants. In a rough country like the forest 

 tracts of Central iidia, elephants, when properly looked after, are 

 the most useful of animals, whether for riding purposes or for carrying 

 baggage and other heavy work. When neglected, however, they are 

 subject to numerous small ailments, which have led some persons to 

 reject them for such services. 



On looking over an elephant, the most inexperienced eye would 

 at once detect the presence of the disease called by natives Zerbdd. 

 There are two varieties of it, called Asl and S'&khd. The former is a 

 dropsical affection, in which the neck, chest, and stomach fiU up to 

 an enormous size. It occurs most frequently in newly caught animals, 

 and is probably attributable to a sudden change of food. I once had 



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