ANIMALS IN SICKNESS 221 
my rule is to feed them twice a day; and not until they are 
thoroughly acclimatised can this rule be safely relaxed. 
An adult lion when he has been acclimatised ought to 
receive from 13 to 17 lbs. of meat per day, with one fast 
day in the week. I usually give them alternately horse- 
flesh and beef; and in the latter case I include both the head 
and the heart of the prey. This I do, not only from con- 
siderations of economy, but because I think it agrees well 
with the animals. Food which contains plenty of bone 
strengthens them and should always be given ; for there is no 
doubt of the truth of the proverb “bone makes bone”. It is 
also very good for them to have to use their teeth. It pre- 
serves the teeth in a proper condition, and, by aiding the 
processes of mastication and digestion, gives the animals a 
cheerful temperament and keeps them in good health. It is 
quite astonishing what a large amount of bone a carnivore 
will succeed in devouring. Of the head of an ox or horse 
weighing 30 lbs. it will eat quite two-thirds. The strong 
bony feeding is also found to be beneficial in many illnesses, 
and when young animals are teething trainers like to feed 
them upon bony food in order to accelerate the development 
of the teeth. Even in adult animals I have found that a 
bone diet acts as a cure in cases of trouble with the teeth. 
I once had a fine specimen of a North African lion which 
suffered from severe fistula of the gums both around the 
canines and all along the upper jaw. In all such cases, where 
the disease can be diagnosed with comparative ease, | usually 
dispense with the services of a veterinary surgeon and attend 
to the matter myself. The first thing I did was to place the 
animal on a diet which would lead to no further inflammation 
of the sore parts. I gave him milk, eggs, and minced-up 
meat ; and the freedom from further irritation soon reduced 
the swelling of the gums and brought the animal into a more 
healthy condition. As soon as the inflammation had sub- 
sided I commenced to put him gradually on to a strong diet 
with a special liberality of bone. By thus compelling him to 
