2o8 
A TREATISE ON ELEPHANTS. 
Symptoms. — A circumscribed, hard, elevated swelling of the 
skin, often painful and tender to the touch, not as a rule disposed 
to come to a head. If a boil bursts, a tough slough of the deeper 
parts of the skin and even the tissues beneath, commonly called 
the core^ is disclosed. 
Treatment. — The cause must be sought for : if the digestive 
system be out of order, the state of the bowels must be attended 
to and kept regular by means of laxatives, purgatives or enemas, 
as the strength of the animal may indicate. Small doses of aloes, 
about 3 drs.. or aloin i dr. and calomel 30 to 40 grains every 
alternate day for a week may do good. If the animal be weak, 
good mixed food, boiled rice, may be given, also some cordial 
{^see Formulae 11 to 14) conjoined with tonics may be administered. 
Local. — Foment with warm water and open as early as possible, 
otherwise the matter may burrow ; for procedure see Abscess. After 
evacuation foment and treat as an ordinary wound. 
Anti-fly dressings are very useful in these cases, such as dikamali 
ointment, or turpentine ointment : — 
Oil of turpentine ... ... i oz. 
Resin, powdered ... ... 2 drs. 
Wax ... ... ... I oz. 
Lard ... ... ... | oz. 
Melt these together in a water bath. 
OR 
Camphor ... ... i part. 
Sweet oil ... ... 4 parts. 
OR 
Venice turpentine ... ... | oz. 
Sweet oil ... ... 4 ozs. 
Melt together and strain. 
H^MATiDROSis — Bleeding of the Skin. 
On one or two occasions it has been noticed that in herds 
certain animals show drops of blood about the body. If the hand 
be rubbed gently over the affected parts it is covered with blood. 
Several elephants may be suffering at the same time. In most 
cases noted the skin along the abdomen was affected, but in some 
the quarters, between the legs, and in one or two the under surface 
of the neck and the shoulders were the seats of the affection. The 
cases w^ere observed during the hot season, the animals ate well, and 
in other respects were said to be all right. Flies were not at all 
bad or at least not sufficiently numerous to cause so much trouble. 
