CHAPTER II. 
GENERAL HYGIENE : ON THE CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF DISEASE. 
FEEDING. NATURAL FODDER. ARTIFICIAL FOOD. TIMES OF 
FEEDING. WATERING. WORK AND EXERCISE. POWER OF 
ENDURANCE. PACES. REST AND SLEEP. EXPOSURE. BATHING 
AND GROOMLNG. ATTENDANTS AND THEIR DUTIES. 
Causes AND Prevention of Disease. 
Though a certain amount of predisposition to disease may be 
assigned to a change from freedom and a natural life to domesti- 
cation and an artificial one, and to accidental causes which cannot 
perhaps be anticipated and accordingly prevented, there undoubtedly 
is a very considerable amount of disease which can be directly 
attributed to conditions to which the domesticated animal is subjected, 
and which, with proper care and humane consideration, can be 
greatly or wholly avoided. Twenty years' experience in this 
Province, during which time I have had abundant opportunities for 
observing domesticated elephants and their treatment by masters 
and mahouts, has compelled me to believe that in many instances 
(and I say so with reluctance) a maximum amount of labour is exacted 
with a minimum regard bestowed upon their wants and creature 
comforts — in other words, they are sweated.'^ This failing is 
mainly due to ignorance on the part of supervisors with regard to 
the habits and peculiarities of their charges, and consequently Ihey 
are incompetent to criticise the actions of mahouts and attendants. 
Employers seem to gauge the capacity of the animals for work 
by their huge bulk and strength, and imagine that their constitutional 
strength is commensurate, or fail to give this important matter its 
due consideration. The result of these shortcomings, whether the 
neglect be wilful or due to ignorance, is shown by the only too 
frequent ill-health tame elephants suffer from. 
My experience of elephants as transport animals is that they 
are decidedly good. Provided they receive proper care and super- 
vision, they do not as a rule fall sick, and are capable of performing 
a vast amount of work. They have few vices, are gentle, obedient, 
and patient. Too frequently, however, they do not even receive 
the ordinary attention bestowed on other transport animals, being 
left to the tender mercies of the native attendants, and they are in 
