VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. 
73 
power or sense of touch with which the elephant's foot is gifted, 
that it is entirely, I believe, through this that he is prevented 
from crossing dangerous or unsafe places. It is a common prac¬ 
tice, when a bridge or stage is erected, to test its firmness and 
strength by putting an elephant to cross it. This the animal pro¬ 
ceeds to do in his clever sagacious manner, trying the structure 
most cautiously under the continued pressure of his foot before 
advancing upon it; and, so confident is his driver that it will not 
attempt to cross if it be unsafe, that he never hesitates to mount 
the animal during the trial. Whether he be laden or not, nothing 
whatever, if he considers it unsafe, will tempt or force him over 
a crossing of the kind referred to. 
The pad of the foot is often the seat of disease and injuries, 
resulting in suppuration and fistulous wounds, requiring consi¬ 
derable time and judicious treatment to cure; these rarely appear 
at once, but commonly within two or three days after the injury. 
I would advise keeping the feet moist under these circum¬ 
stances, and applying some astringent lotion, at the same time 
reducing the load and letting the animal only travel during the 
cool of the day. 
I will now treat briefly of various diseases of the foot. Cracked- 
sole is of frequent occurrence, generally from excessive cold or 
sudden change in the temperature of the day or night. The most 
painful cracks are those situated about the margin of the toe¬ 
nails, and, if not attended to in time, they degenerate into very 
obstinate wounds, and, like cut-sole, entirely lay up the animal. 
This last is generally the result of suddenly stumbling on to the 
point of sharp rocks or stones, or broken flints, on the roads or in 
a river bed. 
Bruised-sole is, perhaps, the most serious affliction to the foot 
we have to contend with, as it takes some time to develop itself, 
and by that time there is deep-seated injury. In most cases it is 
generally the consequence of slipping; that is, in going over 
large pieces of rock; loosely strewn together, the stone or rock, 
by rolling over or slipping from underneath, causes the foot to 
drop wuth some violence against the surface or prominence of 
another piece of rock; and this happening to a heavily laden 
animal often causes very serious injury. The after symptoms are 
great heat, swelling of the whole superior surface of the foot, and 
lameness. The animal is also continually soothing and rubbing 
it with the trunk or blowing water over it. 
The usual native remedy, and, I believe, a very successful one, 
is first to foment well with hot water, and then plaster all over 
with a poultice of cowdung moistened with water and heated 
over the fire in earthenware pots. These poultices are continually 
applied until the inflammation is subdued. This is the first step; 
