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Sunstroke in Elephants
The Velcri1lary Jour1lal. SUNSTROKE IN ELEPHANTS. BY
J.
A. NUNN, !\I.R.C.V.S., ROYAL ARTILLERY, RAWAL PINDEE, I:\DIA.
I SEND an account of two cases of sunstroke in elephants, which came under my observation. Ten elephants, for the purpose of carrying the guns on their backs in places where they could not be dragged by the horses, had been attached to my battery, C3 RA., during the late Afghan campaign. During the spring and early part of the summer there had been the greatest difficulty in feeding them, and when they marched to India, on the evacuation of Northern Afghanistan, they were in very poor condition. On August 18th, at about 9.30 a.m., after marching into the fort of Dakha, I was informed that one of them had fallen down on the bank of the river, where it had been taken to drink. The animal, a female-said to be eighty years old-had been falling off in condition for some time; and as on the evening before she had refused her feed, she was excused carrying any load beyond her mahout. vVhen I saw her, about ten minutes afterwards, she had got up and was staggering along with an uncertain gait; but after proceeding about 300 yards she fell once more down, and never got up again. At the same time, another younger elephant-about seventeen years old-fell down in the river in exactly the same way. This animal soon recovered its feet, and I had it removed to the shade of a rock close by the river-bank. The first elephant seemed quite comatose, the pupil of the eye being dilated and fixed. The second elephant appeared to be stupid, but she obeyed her mahout after he had repeated his order once or twice. In the oldtr animal the symptoms \\"ere most marked. The breathing was stertorous, amounting to a loud roaring sound, and as she lay on the ground, the air was expired with force sufficient to blow away some of the sand. The pulse, which can be taken at one of the large arteries behind the ear, was almost imperceptible; and a noticeable symptom was, the enormous quantity of urine that was passed at short intervals of ten minutes or so. I had both their heads and backs along the spine covered y;ith "jhools" (horse-blankets made out of several thicknesses
Sheep-Polsomng oy Rhododendron.
. .. I I
of fdt sewn together), and saturated with water. I also gave the younger animal about three gallons of proof rum, by kneading up a quantity of the large cakes of bread elephants are fed on, with the spirit, and forcing it down her throat. I tried to give the same dose to the older elephant, but she could not swallow. Her case appeared hopeless from the beginning, and she had to be left behind on the battery marching the next morning i I subsequently heard that she died that evening. The younger animal gradually recovered, and marched thrcugh the Khyber to Peshawur, apparently none the worse. The heat at this seas)n of the year was very great. I unfortunately broke the only thermometer I had i but the day before, at 5 o'clock in the evening, in the shade it stood at 110 degrees Fahr. The situation was also most unfavourable. Dakha is situated on the banks of the Kabul river, in a sandy plain, surrounded by hills about three miles across. The sun beats down with most intense force, and no wind can get into this basin.
SH EEP·POISONING BY RHODODENDRON. BY
J.
DUNLOP, lILR.C.V.S., DOWN PATRICK.
ON Thursday, December 23rd last, a hundred breeding ewes were put to graze in Tullymon Park, co. Down, the residence of Lord Roden. These animals had been purchased in October last, at Falkirk Tryst, and had been grazing on the home farm, outside the walls of the demesne. On Friday morning, the 24th, one of them appeared ill-breathing fast, frothing at the mouth; attempts to vomit, during the paroxysms of which the animal emitted a crying sound. It died that evening. Others appeared ill, one dying on Saturday, the 25th, and another on Sunday, the 26th. Fifteen in all were ill; three died, and twelve recovered slowly. On Monday, the 27th, I was requested to make a jJost-1llortmz examination, and found large quantities of rhododendron leaves and grass half masticated in the rumen. There was a general fulness of the vascular system, congestion of lungs, and blood clots in both sides of the heart.
J.
A. NUNN, !\I.R.C.V.S., ROYAL ARTILLERY, RAWAL PINDEE, I:\DIA.
I SEND an account of two cases of sunstroke in elephants, which came under my observation. Ten elephants, for the purpose of carrying the guns on their backs in places where they could not be dragged by the horses, had been attached to my battery, C3 RA., during the late Afghan campaign. During the spring and early part of the summer there had been the greatest difficulty in feeding them, and when they marched to India, on the evacuation of Northern Afghanistan, they were in very poor condition. On August 18th, at about 9.30 a.m., after marching into the fort of Dakha, I was informed that one of them had fallen down on the bank of the river, where it had been taken to drink. The animal, a female-said to be eighty years old-had been falling off in condition for some time; and as on the evening before she had refused her feed, she was excused carrying any load beyond her mahout. vVhen I saw her, about ten minutes afterwards, she had got up and was staggering along with an uncertain gait; but after proceeding about 300 yards she fell once more down, and never got up again. At the same time, another younger elephant-about seventeen years old-fell down in the river in exactly the same way. This animal soon recovered its feet, and I had it removed to the shade of a rock close by the river-bank. The first elephant seemed quite comatose, the pupil of the eye being dilated and fixed. The second elephant appeared to be stupid, but she obeyed her mahout after he had repeated his order once or twice. In the oldtr animal the symptoms \\"ere most marked. The breathing was stertorous, amounting to a loud roaring sound, and as she lay on the ground, the air was expired with force sufficient to blow away some of the sand. The pulse, which can be taken at one of the large arteries behind the ear, was almost imperceptible; and a noticeable symptom was, the enormous quantity of urine that was passed at short intervals of ten minutes or so. I had both their heads and backs along the spine covered y;ith "jhools" (horse-blankets made out of several thicknesses
Sheep-Polsomng oy Rhododendron.
. .. I I
of fdt sewn together), and saturated with water. I also gave the younger animal about three gallons of proof rum, by kneading up a quantity of the large cakes of bread elephants are fed on, with the spirit, and forcing it down her throat. I tried to give the same dose to the older elephant, but she could not swallow. Her case appeared hopeless from the beginning, and she had to be left behind on the battery marching the next morning i I subsequently heard that she died that evening. The younger animal gradually recovered, and marched thrcugh the Khyber to Peshawur, apparently none the worse. The heat at this seas)n of the year was very great. I unfortunately broke the only thermometer I had i but the day before, at 5 o'clock in the evening, in the shade it stood at 110 degrees Fahr. The situation was also most unfavourable. Dakha is situated on the banks of the Kabul river, in a sandy plain, surrounded by hills about three miles across. The sun beats down with most intense force, and no wind can get into this basin.
SH EEP·POISONING BY RHODODENDRON. BY
J.
DUNLOP, lILR.C.V.S., DOWN PATRICK.
ON Thursday, December 23rd last, a hundred breeding ewes were put to graze in Tullymon Park, co. Down, the residence of Lord Roden. These animals had been purchased in October last, at Falkirk Tryst, and had been grazing on the home farm, outside the walls of the demesne. On Friday morning, the 24th, one of them appeared ill-breathing fast, frothing at the mouth; attempts to vomit, during the paroxysms of which the animal emitted a crying sound. It died that evening. Others appeared ill, one dying on Saturday, the 25th, and another on Sunday, the 26th. Fifteen in all were ill; three died, and twelve recovered slowly. On Monday, the 27th, I was requested to make a jJost-1llortmz examination, and found large quantities of rhododendron leaves and grass half masticated in the rumen. There was a general fulness of the vascular system, congestion of lungs, and blood clots in both sides of the heart.