CHAPTER II.

      INSTRUMENTS. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

                               INSTRUMENTS.

The following list of instruments may be found useful as part of
the equipment of sick elephant camps.

Clinical thermometers.—No elephant establishment should be
without this invaluable instrument, as it is a never-failing guide to
the state of the health of the animal or to what it may shortly be.
If there is a rise of temperature, even if no other symptoms of ill-
health are manifest, we may rest assured that disease in some form
will soon make itself evident : a rise of temperature is a certain indi-
cation that the animal is indisposed and should therefore be relieved
from work and carefully treated and watched (vide Fever, page 165).
Forceps.—Two pairs ordinary spring forceps, one pair bow
dressing forceps 8 ins. or 10 ins. in length. These are useful for
removing soiled dressings, maggots from wounds, etc. One or two
pairs of artery forceps, Pean's pattern, long jaw.

Suture needles.—Three Joger's needles for strong sutures, three
Gerlach's folding needles with slide catch. Needles for use with
elephants should, owing to the thickness of the skin, be provided
with very sharp points and handles, and be specially made to carry
moderately stout catgut and wire as the lighter kinds of sutures
will not hold.

Seton needles.—Two : jointed, 12 ins. long, curved on the flat—
one probe pointed, the other sharp pointed and provided with handle.
One English pattern 20 ins. long with handle. A seton is an agency
the effect of which is to promote the formation of purulent matter
and to sustain the suppurative process after it has been established.
In elephant practice setons are most useful in draining abscess
cavities and pouches. The operation consists in passing a piece of
tape or band of linen under the skin, and in this connection it is best
to push the needle from below upwards, the reason being that no
pouches are made in which matter can collect. The ends of the
tape are secured either by tying round corks or sticks, or by knotting.
The tape to increase the irritation is next smeared with something
which promotes suppuration, such as turpentine, croton oil, can-
tharides ointment.

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