Injury to and Rate of Growth of an Elephant Tusk

Abstract

The tusks of elephants are of continuous growth and are socketed into the upper jaw as shown in Fig. 1. The socketed portion is almost vertical and the growing end is situated just below the floor of the nasal cavity. This portion of the tusk contains a funnel-shaped pulp cavity the extremity of which in the adult animal reaches almost to the level of the margins of the bony socket. The relatively superficial position of the thin-walled socketed portion of the tusk on the face of the animal exposes it to injuries from bullets and spears aimed at the head from in front. Weighted spears dropped by natives from the branches of overhanging trees have been known to penetrate the open end of the tusk from above (Bland-Sutton, 1910). Many specimens are recorded which show the remarkable powers of the enormous pulp...