224 MAMMALIA. [Chap. VII. 



Nothing can more strongly exhibit the impulse to 

 obedience in the elephant, than the patience with which, 

 at the order of his keeper, he swallows the nauseous 

 medicines of the native elephant-doctors ; and it is im- 

 possible to witness the fortitude with which (without 

 shrinking) he submits to excruciating surgical operations 

 for the removal of tumours and ulcers to which he is sub- 

 ject, without conceiving a vivid impression of his gentle- 

 ness and intelligence. Dr. Davy when in Ceylon was 

 consulted about an elephant in the government Stud, 

 which was suffering from a deep, burrowing sore in the 

 back, just over the back-bone, which had long resisted 

 the treatment ordinarily employed. He recommended 

 the use of the knife, that issue might be given to the 

 accumulated matter, but no one of the attendants was 

 competent to undertake the operation. " Being assured," 

 he continues, 66 that the creature would behave well, I 

 undertook it myself. The elephant was not bound, but 

 was made to kneel down at his keeper's command — and 

 with an amputating knife, using all my force, I made 

 the incision required through the tough integuments. 

 The elephant did not flinch, but rather inclined towards 

 me when using the knife ; and merely uttered a low, and 

 as it were suppressed, groan. In short, he behaved as 

 like a human being as possible, as if conscious (as I 



of their training appears to have mony : the whole " surprising in a 



been ascribed to the employment creature whose limbs are without 



of music. joints ! 



Phile, in the account which he i( v . ,i 

 , . ' « , „ , " Kaivdv 71 iroioov e£ avapOpcov op- 



has given of the eiephant s fondness # „ b r r r 



for music would almost seem to E & m k ^ 2 16 



have versmed the prose narrative ■ 



of JElian, as he describes its excite- For an account of the training 



ment at the more animated por- and performances of the elephants 



tions, its step being regulated to the at Borne, as narrated by JElian, 



time and movements of the har- see the appendix to this chapter. 



