222 BEASTS AND MEN 
use his teeth, the injured ones soon broke out of their own 
accord, and it was unnecessary to resort to the operation of 
removing them artificially—an operation always attended with 
considerable danger on account of the use of anesthetics which 
it involves. : 
One of the most interesting cures which I have succeeded 
in effecting was in the case of a small elephant which I 
received on gth March, 1904. He was at that. time in a 
very badly nourished condition, little more than skin and 
bone, and on the point of collapsing. His height was only 
four feet six inches at the shoulder. The care which I ex- 
Strangling a sick elephant. 
pended upon him was so well requited that in the course of 
five weeks during July and August his weight increased from 
nearly 7 cwt. to about 94 cwt. Unfortunately he afterwards 
contracted colic, which brought down his weight by about 1 
cwt. within two days. He soon got over it, however, and 
from the middle of September to the end of December put 
on very nearly another 7 cwt. This remarkable cure was 
effected without any resort to medicine. I may here take 
the opportunity of observing that in dealing with wild animals 
medicine should be avoided to the greatest possible extent. 
Iam wholly convinced that medicines often do more harm 
than good ; and that the proper way of doctoring an animal 
