APPENDIX 371 



ing and dressing will have to be repeated at least twice a day; and 

 the practitioner will have his hands full while it lasts in keeping the 

 lazy elephant attendants up to their work. They will always, if 

 allowed, let a sore back heal up superficially only to break out again 

 on the first pressure. They rather like their elephant to have a sore 

 back, as it saves them the trouble of loading it and going out to cut 

 fodder. I have known them cause a sore back on purpose by inserting 

 a stone below the pad ; and I knew one case in wMch an elephant was 

 destroyed by these ruffians, by the continued application of quickUme 

 to a sore near the spine. 



Elephants are very hable to intestinal worms. They generally 

 cure themselves, when they get very troublesome, by swallowing 

 from ten to twenty pounds of earth. They always select a red- 

 coloured earth for the purpose. In about twelve hours after, purging 

 commences and all the worms come away. When this occurs the 

 hard food should be stopped for a week, fodder only being given; 

 and a ball of spices should be given every day. Some elephants will 

 not eat earth when they require it; and they are considered a very 

 bad lot in consequence. I do not know how to treat them for worms. 

 Should an elephant get wounded by a tiger, or otherwise, the places 

 should be well cleaned and kept moistened with cold water. If they 

 get foul apply Holloway's ointment. The mahouts have a cruel practice 

 in such cases of heating balls of elephant's dung in the fire and spUtting 

 them open, applying them hot and hot to the wounds. I believe it 

 to be as useless as it is barbarous. Fomentations and rest are required 

 in the rare event of a strain. 



The above are the commonest cases that will call for treatment by 

 the elephant owner. They seldom prove fatal (excepting Zerbad), 

 but are very troublesome when not properly attended to. Besides 

 these elephants are subject to several obscure internal diseases, which 

 fortunately are of very rare occurrence, but when they do occur usually 

 prove fatal from the difficulty of diagnosing or treating them. Among 

 them are fever and inflammation of the internal organs. Bleeding 

 can, I believe, be effected from some small arteries behind the ears; 

 but I have never seen it done. It would probably offer the only 

 chance of a cure in such cases. 



Occasional injuries and complaints will give an opportunity for 

 the display of ingenuity in the application of remedies. One of the 

 most singular operations of dentistry I ever heard of was the removal 

 of a large excrescence on the back tooth of an elephant, which had 

 grown into the poor brute's cheek, and almost prevented his feeding. 

 One of the best mahouts I ever knew volunteered to remove it. He 

 got a good thick log of wood, and made a hole through it large 

 enough for his arm to pass. Outside he covered it all over with nails, 

 leaving about a quarter of an inch of each sticking out of the wood. 

 The elephant was made to lie down and fastened with hobbles, while 

 the log thus prepared was placed in his mouth like a bit, and bound 

 with ropes across his neck. Twenty or thirty persons now sat upon 

 his head and trunk (if these be kept down an elephant cannot rise 



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