8 a hand-book of the management of animals 



Treatment in sickness. 



The principal diseases to which a hoolock in captivity is subject 

 are diarrhoea, severe cold affecting the chest, consumption and skin disease. 



Diarrhoea has often been overcome by bael, timely given, and 

 a light and wholesome diet, such as milk and bread, or barley and 

 water. If allowed to run on, it terminates fatally. 



Severe cold affecting the chest. — The animal should be kept in a 

 warm place, and, if possible, covered with a blanket. 



Ten grains of chlorate of potash in an ounce of simple syrup 

 afford great relief to the patient. 



Fomentation applied to the chest and throat, and chicken soup are 

 also recommended. 



Consumption generally runs an insidious course and results in 

 death. If the malady is detected early, and the animal tame, it 

 should be allowed to run about during the day and in fine 

 weather. Whether tame or not, it ought to be removed from the 

 monkey-house and kept in a good roomy cage in a well-ventilated 

 place. By way of medicine it should have a tea-spoonful of syrup of 

 hypophosphate of lime, twice or thrice a day, and a tea-spoonful of 

 glycerine with milk twice daily. Nutritious and easily digestible 

 things should be given as food, such as corn-flour boiled with milk, 

 oatmeal- cakes, eggs, raw or boiled, &c. 



Skin disease is a very troublesome complaint which sometimes 

 affects these animals. Complete isolation is requisite. The following 

 treatment can be recommended : — 



Wash the body with soap and tepid water, and rub it tho- 

 roughly with powdered borax and sulphur (one part borax and three 

 parts sulphur). Repeat this treatment three times a week till cured. 



Observations on the habits of Hoolocks. 



With very rare exceptions hoolocks are gentle creatures and, when 

 kindly treated, become very tame and even affectionate. They often 

 express their sense of joy and affection for favours bestowed on them 

 in the shape of biscuits, buns and fruits, by extending their long arms 

 through the bars of the cage and gently twining them round the neck 

 of their benefactor. They have a keen sense of jealousy which they have 

 been often observed to manifest by great restlessness and a kind of 

 suppressed moaning, if they do not happen first to receive the attention 

 of the keeper or any one else who may be feeding the other animals 

 living in the same building with them. The idea of fun is also greatly 

 developed in them. Soon after the establishment of the garden a num- 

 ber of monkeys were, for want of better accommodation, kept together 

 in one compartment. It was at this time that the hoolocks were 

 observed to make merry at the expense of other monkeys. Although 

 not possessed of the pluck and strength of the others, the hoolocks 

 showed remarkable cunning and agility in eluding the pursuit of an 

 irritated Hanuman or a vindictive Rhesus. 



When the other monkeys were engaged in quarrelling — not an 

 uncommon occurrence when several different kinds of monkeys are kept 

 together — one of the hoolocks would softly let himself down by the help 



