24 
DISEASES OF ELEPHANTS AND CAMELS. 
division ordered a special board to assemble to examine the 
animals, and prescribe for them. The board consisted of a 
cavalry surgeon-major as president, and another veterinary 
surgeon and myself as members. On our arrival at the cattle 
yard we found that four elephants had already died, and three 
more were presented to us very ill indeed. We also looked 
at all those that were healthy, forty-five in number. From 
the inquiries we made, and from the appearance of the ani¬ 
mals, we came to the conclusion that they were attacked 
with a severe form of intermittent fever, a disease to which 
they are said to be peculiarly liable, and which always occurs 
in a very aggravated form among elephants. We recom¬ 
mended a dose of cinchona bark to be given three times a day 
to each of the sick ones, and an occasional enema; and fur¬ 
ther, that the food of all the elephants be changed for a time 
from C{ atta” (flour) to rice, and from coarse jungle grass to 
good wheat straw, and that their place of watering be changed 
also. Since we saw them (now a fortnight ago), I hear that 
all the three we examined have died, and that only one other 
elephant among the healthy ones has been attacked, and he 
died; so that our hygienic treatment appears to have been 
successful, although the then sick ones did not benefit by our 
prescription. But with reference to the latter, it must be 
remembered that before our visit they had been bled and 
physicked! and crammed with all sorts of native “ mussalahs/’ 
or spices, so that we had not a fair chance. 
As each elephant is worth from £60 to £70 to the Govern ¬ 
ment, it becomes a serious thing when a number of them die 
from an epidemic. I should like to “ read up” on the sub¬ 
ject; if, therefore, you can recommend me a good work, I 
shall feel extremely obliged. Veterinary surgeons in India 
ought to know something about both elephants and camels. 
[We concur with “ A Subscriber” in his last remark, anp 
regret that we are not acquainted with any work on the diseases 
of the elephant, &c., but that of Dr. Gilchrist, the contents of 
which appear to have been chiefly gathered from the native 
doctors. Scattered facts may, however, be picked up here 
and there.] 
