SUPER-PURGATION. 
243. 
diarrhoea. Calves subjected to such treatment present the following 
appearance : — They are usually out of condition, the skin is dry, 
often shiny and scaly-looking and adheres to the underlying structures ; 
in other words, exactly the condition known among horses as " hide- 
bound 'V; the animals are dull and listless, thirsty, the mouth dry, the 
appetite capricious. 
Treatment. — It is most difficult to handle some young elephants. 
They at times get very hasty in temper, make a terrific noise upsetting 
the cows that may be in camp. If they are being hand-fed, attempts 
to administer drugs cause them to refuse food. If milk is procurable 
it should be given and citrate of soda, two grains to the ounce of 
milk, added ; milk so treated forms a curd in the stomach which is 
easily digested. Later on rice well boiled or better still broken rice 
may be added to the milk with sugar or a little salt. Molassine 
meal may also be given. 
A mild dose of medicine may be given, such as 4 ounces of 
castor oil beaten up with 2 drachms of bicarbonate of soda. If 
pain is severe small doses of tincture of opium may afford relief. 
Super-purgation. 
C^wj^'.s'.— Excessive purgation, due to an overdose of purgative 
medicine, to undue action of an ordinary dose, or to repetition of a 
dose at too short an interval, or working an animal too soon after 
he has been given physic. 
Symptoms. — Severe gripes, restlessness, weakness, watery 
evacuations, the animal refuses food, and the pulse soon becomes 
feeble. 
Treatment : Preventive. — When circumstances permit, before 
giving physic, any grain ration allowed should be stopped 24 or even 
48 hours beforehand) and for some 24 hours previous the ordinary 
diet should be reduced ; by so doing it will be found that less 
medicine will be required and that it operates better. Care must 
always be exercised, some animals being easily and violently purged. 
The state of the animal's health must be inquired into, whether he is 
at full work and on full feed, whether he has been on green or dry 
food, such as straw, boughs of trees, also the usual state of the 
bowels. It is usual and a good practice to combine the physic with 
some carminative, such as ginger, aniseed, gentian, cardamoms 
(Formulae 1 1 to 15). In some animals, even though every precaution 
is taken, violent purging may ensue. Large quantities of drinking 
water must not be allowed after the physic is given, though the 
animal should be permitted to take sufficient to allay thirst. If the 
