GENERAL INDICATIONS OF ILL-HEALTH. 
animal found the least out of condition should be given a rest by 
sending him away into the jungle. 
Curative : {a) General. — Rest from work, gentle walking exer- 
cise morning and evening according to strength. The body must 
be washed daily and kept thoroughly clean. The state of the 
bowels must be watched and any tendency to constipation corrected 
by administration of laxatives {see Formulae — Laxatives or aperients, 
23 to 28, or Enemas, 77 to 80). 
Thirst should be relieved by always keeping a tub of fresh 
water near the standing. A liberal allowance of good food, which 
must occasionally be varied, and also an allowance of salt is neces- 
sary, in addition to which tempting diet such as sugarcane, fruit, 
may be given with advantage as also wheaten cakes or chupatties or 
bread, 5 or 6 lbs., morning and evening. Diuretics [see Formulae 
16 to 22) may be tried, and if the appetite is bad, Cordials (see 
Formulae 11 to 15) and stimulants such as rum or whisky in 
8-ounce doses twice or thrice daily should be given. In most diseases 
of elephants the use of stimulants is to be advocated, as being 
an animal of a lymphatic nature the exhibition of medicines of this 
class do not seem to have an ill-effect at any time. During 
convalescence a course of tonics is indicated, especially the pre- 
parations of arsenic, iron or copper mixed with vegetable bitters 
or aromatics — see Formulae 39 to 46. Also dilute nitric acid in 
doses of one to three drachms in a bucket of water, or dilute 
sulphuric acid in similar doses once daily, or iodide of iron in 
2-drachm doses once a day. 
If worms are the cause, for treatment see Part III, Formulae 47 
to 53- 
[h] Local. — When the dropsy under the skin of the belly tends 
to become tense and the area is extensive, the skin may be stabbed 
in several places to allow the fluid to drain away. This is best 
done by protecting a knife by winding round the blade, tow, cloth, 
or string, so as to leave only half to three-quarters of an inch of the 
blade exposed, so that when stabbing the part it cannot go deep 
enough to cause injury. The stabs should be four or five inches apart. 
This done, the parts should be fomented and afterwards dressed 
with anti-fly preparations — j-^^ Formulae 122, 123, and 128 to 130. 
A trocar and canula may also be employed for tapping the fluid. 
Blood-letting. — This consists in the abstraction of blood frOxH the 
system locally or generally. It is not recommended in elephants. 
The objects are — 
[a) to reduce the action of the heart and so the force of 
the circulation ; 
{b) to reduce the quantity of blood in the system. 
