374 
RELATIVE WEIGHT OF THE ELEPHANT. 
The next-mentioned animal, a female, about thirty years 
of age, had been eighteen years at the Society’s Gardens, and 
was in good health and condition up to July the 14th, 1855, 
when, during the thunder-storm on that day (Saturday), she 
exhibited signs of fright, diarrhoea came on, she shook 
violently, and died at five o’clock on Monday morning. From 
the appearance of the blood, microscopical and otherwise, I 
have reason to believe that her death was occasioned by 
fright or by electrical influence. 
Mr. Bartlett had the body weighed, and the subjoined is 
the result : 
Skin 683 lbs. 
Flesh and bones 3642 „ 
Supposed loss 200 „ 
4525 „ 
The viscera were weighed with steelyards, and adding the 
weight of the viscera to the above, the total amount is about 
5225 lbs. The under mentioned are the proportions : 
Heart, 25 lbs. 
Lungs, very much congested, 107 lbs. 
Liver, 50 lbs. 7 ^. 
Spleen, 9 lbs. 3 ^. 
Kidney, 81bs. g i g . 
Alimentary Canal— (Esophagus about 
. . 6 feet. 
Stomach . 
. 3 
33 
Small intestines 
. 74 
33 
Caecum 
. 5 
33 
Other large intestines 
. 35 
J) 
123 
The large intestines, from their great weight, w r ere not 
extended like the small, and I measured them with a foot 
rule, so that the exact length 'could not be given, but I believe 
that the error (if any) is very slight. The large intestines 
were of great size, and would probably have held 150 gallons 
of water. 
In estimating the comparative weight of the viscera of the 
above animals, it must be borne in mind that the male was 
very thin, and the female in excellent condition ; and this 
leads me to speak of a curious circumstance respecting the 
presence of fat in the body of the elephant. In the male not 
a particle of fat was present. Mr. Bartlett, who has assisted 
at the dissection of four elephants besides the last named, 
could find no fat in their bodies, and all writers that I know 
of have made the same statement. The body of this animal, 
