Ἰνδικά 38.1.1

38.1.1

Θηρῶσι δὲ Ἰνδοὶ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα ἄγρια θηρία, κατάπερ καὶ Ἕλληνες· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐλεφάντων σφὶν θήρη οὐδέν τι ἄλλῃ ἔοικεν, ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα τὰ θηρία οὐδαμοῖσιν ἄλλοισι θηρίοισιν ἐπέοικεν. (2) Ἀλλὰ τόπον γὰρ ἐπιλεξάμενοι ἄπεδον καὶ καυματώδεα ἐν κύκλῳ τάφρον ὀρύσσουσιν, ὅσον μεγάλῳ στρατοπέδῳ ἐπαυλίσασθαι. Τῆς δὲ τάφρον τὸ εὖρος ἐς πέντε ὀργυιὰς ποιέονται, βάθος τε ἐς τέσσαρας. (3) Τὸν δὲ χόον ὅντινα ἐκβάλλουσιν ἐκ τοῦ ὀρύγματος, ἐπὶ τὰ χείλὲα ἑκάτερα τῆς τάφρου ἐπιφορήσαντες, ἀντὶ τείχεος διαχρέονται· (4) αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ χώματι τοῦ ἐπιχειλέος τοῦ ἔξω τῆς τάφρου σκηνάς σφιν ὀρυκτὰς ποιέονται, καὶ διὰ τουτέων ὀπὰς ὑπολείπονται· δι’ ὧν φῶς τε αὐτοῖσι συνεισέρχεται καὶ τὰ θηρία προσάγοντα καὶ ἐσελαύνοντα ἐς τὸ ἕρκος σκέπτονται. (5) Ἐνταῦθα ἐντὸς τοῦ ἕρκεος καταστήσαντες τῶν τινας θηλέων τρεῖς ἢ τέσσαρας, ὅσαι μάλιστα τὸν θυμὸν χειροήθεες, μίαν εἴσοδον ἀπολιμπάνουσι κατὰ τὴν τάφρον, γεφυρώσαντες τὴν τάφρον· καὶ ταύτῃ χόον τε καὶ ποίην πολλὴν ἐπιφέρουσι τοῦ μὴ ἀρίδηλον εἶναι τοῖσι θηρίοισι τὴν γέφυραν, μή τινα δόλον δϊσθῶσιν. (6) Αὐτοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐκποδὼν σφᾶς ἔχουσι κατὰ τῶν σκηνέων τῶν ὑπὸ τῇ τάφρῳ δεδυκότες. Οἱ δὲ ἄγριοι ἐλέφαντες ἡμέρης μὲν οὐ πελάζουσι τοῖσιν οἰκεομένοισι, νύκτωρ δὲ πλανῶνταί τε πάντη καὶ ἀγεληδὸν νέμονται τῷ μεγίστῳ καὶ γενναιοτάτῳ σφῶν ἑπόμενοι, κατάπερ αἱ βόες τοῖσι ταύροισιν.

The Indians cure the wounds of the elephants which they catch, in the manner following:—
They treat them in the way in which, as good old Homer tells us, Patroklos treated the wound of Eurypylos, — they foment them with lukewarm water. After this they rub them over with butter, and if they are deep allay the inflammation by applying and inserting pieces of pork, hot but still retaining the blood. They cure ophthalmia with cows' milk, which is first used as a fomentation for the eye, and is then injected into it. The animals open their eyelids, and finding they can see better are delighted, and are sensible of the benefit like human beings. In proportion as their blindness diminishes their delight overflows, and this is a token that the disease has been cured. The remedy for other distempers to which they are liable is black wine; and if this potion fails to work a cure nothing else can save them.