TEE ROYAL TIGER OF BENGAL. 47 



elephant's head, and killed. In the evening, when 

 the elephant was being attended to, and having her 

 scratches washed and dressed, the mahout called my 

 attention to a claw that had heen wrenched from the 

 tigress's foot and remained deeply imbedded in the 

 elephant's head above the eye. It is a popular 

 belief, and by no means confined to the ignorant, 

 that the wounds inflicted by the fangs and claws of 

 the tiger are very dangerous and of a specific nature. 

 This, however, is a mistake. It is eei-tainly possible 

 that the teeth and claws may occasionally be con- 

 taminated with septic matters from the decomposing 

 flesh of his prey ; but this is probably rare, as any 

 one would say who saw these weapons and know the 

 careful way in which they are kept polished and 

 clean. The fact is, the wounds owe their dangerous 

 condition to the fact of their being deeply punctured 

 or lacerated ; otherwise they have no peculiarity, and 

 they not unfrequently heal very readily, though they 

 are occasionally followed by profuse suppuration, 

 which as in similar wounds may induce blood 

 poisoning. I have seen the severest injuries in- 

 flicted by the tiger recovered from rapidly, others 

 after profuse suppuration and sloughing of the torn 

 and stretched tissues. 



It is remarkable how many people escape who 

 have been wounded by tigers. They seldom kill on 

 the spot, and, unless in the case of the man-eater, 

 rarely take the human victim far, if at all, from 

 the spot where he is struck down. The action is 



