THE DISEASES OF ELEPHANTS. 
176 
its veterinary treatment is a hopeless task. The consequence 
is that their mahouts, or native keepers, than whom a more 
ignorant and careless class does not exist, are commonly 
allowed to do with them what they choose, very often to 
their serious detriment, and sometimes complete disablement. 
They profess to possess many secret specifics, most of which 
are useless, and only intended to extract money from their 
masters on the pretence of purchasing drugs, and many of 
them are founded on the grossest superstition. For instance, 
it is common among them to.give the elephant a piece of a 
tiger’s liver to make him courageous! and, in order to make 
him see well at night, to thrust down his throat the great 
yellow eyes of the brown horned owl torn fresh from the 
living bird! 
“ Having had much to do with elephants, both in my pri¬ 
vate possession and in the forest establishment, I am induced 
to put on record what I know of their management, not with 
the idea of furnishing a complete guide to their treatment, 
but in the hope that it may go some way towards obviating 
some of the mismanagement they are now so generally sub¬ 
jected to, and also he of assistance to persons engaged in 
purchasing elephants. In a rough country like the forest 
tracts of Central India, elephants, when properly looked 
after, are the most useful of animals, whether for riding pur¬ 
poses or for carrying baggage and other heavy work. When 
neglected, however, they are subject to numerous small ail¬ 
ments, which have led some persons to reject them for such 
services. 
“ On looking over an elephant, the most inexperienced eye 
would at once detect the presence of the disease called by 
natives Zerbdd. There are two varieties of it, called Asl and 
Sukha. The former is a dropsical affection, in which the 
neck, chest, and stomach, fill up to an enormous size. It 
occurs most frequently in newly caught animals, and is pro¬ 
bably attributable to a sudden change of food. I once had 
an elephant attacked with it immediately after changing 
from wheat to rice, on entering a district where the former 
was not procurable. Generally, an elephant that has been 
two or three years in captivity is considered pretty safe 
from it. Sukha Tierbad is usually developed out of the other, 
but sometimes comes on at once. It is a sort of general 
atrophy or falling away, and is characterised by a shrivelled, 
cracky skin, much emaciation, and weakness. It is apt to 
become complicated with troublesome sores in various parts 
of the body. In purchasing an elephant it is not likely that 
the presence of Zerbad would he overlooked, but without 
