PART IV.

Non-infective Diseases.

CHAPTER I.

GENERAL TREATMENT OF SICKNESS.

IT will be as well to remark here that elephants generally are
bad patients from three points of view : (a) they are naturally very
timid suspicious creatures, difficult and often dangerous for strangers
to handle ; (b) their vital processes are slow, hence diseases run a
protracted course, take a low form and loss of condition is only
slowly regained. Their natural timidity in health is often augmented
by disease ; they very readily lose heart, becoming indifferent or
oblivious to their surroundings in serious ailments ; (c) the difficulty
usually encountered in the administration of medicines.

If successful treatment is to be achieved, these facts must never
be lost sight of, everything calculated to frighten the patient should
be as far as possible avoided and every effort to conciliate and gain
his confidence employed in preference to any method of restraint to
effect one's purpose. Restraint in any form increases his fears,
stimulates him to offer resistance and exhausts his energies. For
this reason it is advised that the details of treatment laid down by
the person in charge should be carried out under his personal
supervision through the agency of the oosis alone.

(1) Rest.—Whenever any indication of ill-health, however
trivial, is observed, the first step in treatment is to rest the animal
and by rest is meant that except for gentle walking exercise if not
lame, the animal must be tethered and not allowed to travel or
work on any pretext whatever until such time as the person in
charge is satisfied that the animal is fit to do so.

(2)   Shelter.—During the hot season a cool and shady standing
must be selected. In the rains he must be kept out of the wet and
not exposed to cold winds. Should an animal show signs of chilli-
ness, some sort of covering should be thrown over him or massage
may be practised. Burmans, Karens and Shans usually employ this
latter method, which they perform with their hands and feet and
which appears to afford the patient comfort.

(3)   Food.—All grain ration should be withheld. In most
diseases the appetite is partially or wholly lost and it is therefore