VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
69 
The management and treatment of the Elephant. 
I observed at the outset that the Abyssinian campaign proved 
the elephant to be capable of withstanding great vicissitudes of 
climate; but cold is, nevertheless, one of the greatest difficulties 
to contend with in dealing with this animal, and hence it should 
be mitigated by every available means. 
When an elephant once gets thoroughly cold (and this happens 
too often from an undue exposure to a low temperature), I have 
generally found it a matter of the greatest difficulty to bring back 
the normal circulation, and, if this be not accomplished, a fatal 
termination soon follows. 
You may take it generally, nay, almost always as a bad sign, 
when you observe an elephant to be struggling in the midst of 
his painful shivering, and then to come down in a recumbent 
posture. He will always get up again if he has the power to do 
so, but as he becomes weaker and weaker, he remains prostrate 
and never rises again. I have found it very advantageous, when 
arriving on the march in a cold and bleak locality, to administer 
diffusible stimulants from time to time as occasion requires; 
sometimes once a day is sufficient. 
Brandy, rum, or arrack, from a pint to a pint and a half, dried 
ginger, powdered cloves, red and black pepper, garlic, chillies, 
and such like, powdered and mixed up with treacle and flour to 
make a sort of cake. These medicines, pleasant to the taste, 
are easily given; others more nauseous require an adept, who is, 
however, generally to be found in the person of the keeper. It 
often happens, however, that a stranger will succeed better, 
simply because the animal suspects the keeper, and is off his guard 
with a stranger. 
I have frequently given a nauseous-smelling ball mixed with 
food at the first attempt, after the keeper had been trying for 
half an hour or more. 
Most medicines are given to the patient standing. In some 
cases, but very rarely, he requires to be cast and bound; but I 
have never advocated this plan, indeed I have always opposed it, 
as I generally found that patience and perseverance w r ere only 
required to accomplish the task. 
I can remember but one exception; and this was in a very ex¬ 
treme case. The animal was made to kneel down, and secured 
from rising by passing a chain under his forearms and over his 
neck and hobbling his hind and fore legs; an iron crowbar was then 
placed between his grinders, and the draught injected down his 
throat. 
Having regard to the wav in which the elephant suffers from 
