The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-04

Medical Praciice in the Geological Gardens
.r R.,,ru-Hew a Hot whisky Punch was
Administered TO Sick Iona New De
parture-Observations Of = New OrIeaninn
Abroad. ewt

Administered 10 SICK LOn-A ~" 10
parture-Observation Of = New OrieaninI
Abroad.
European Correspondence of the Bulletin.l
BERLIN, June 8, 1875.
Dear Bullein-Apropos Of surgery and the
performances Of fhe doctors, which formed
the subject OF. my last, have thought q
rather funny incident related Of medical prac-
tice in the geological Gardens here, and
which, as it is q little ont Of the ordinary
course Of things, may prove edifying TO the
readers of the BULLErIN-I had liked to have
said the New Orleans public, but, fortunately, l
remembered that there is continued strife
going on between the New Orleans papers
about the "largest circulation" and that it
would never do to speak as if the BULLETIN
was confined to the city in its circulation and
in fact i'll had thought of a momentsoo I
might have said the American public. which.
after all, would have been no stretch of reality,
for have reason to believe that the BULLETIN,
though not the oldest paper in the South
west, has yet reached that point Of importance
and popular favor at which it may claim to
have readers in every portion Of civilized
America, and / can state, Of my own knowl-
edge, that it is regularly received and eagerly
read by quite number of persons in this
particular section of Germany, and dare say
that the case is the,same in the other parts Of
Europe. 1t makes one smile, however. to OBJ
serve how persistently the various New Or
leans papers severally lay claim to the proud
distinction of having the most extensive cir
culation, each Sunday issue of one or another
bringing out something about the matter. but
rs rule, not much in the way of evidence to
establish their claims. ,,n
They ought to get up get of gilded horns.
or a Queens cup, or something of that sort,
to strive. for. and then, perhaps, we might
have some 'better proofs" "a mild attempt
at play on words that, but at 6 O'Clock in the
morning inspiration is weak, too weak
even for the preparation Of an innocent
double e'tendrs.) But was about to forget
the story I started ont I'd tell about the sick
lion and the glass of punch. They have Q
number, more than dozen, think, OF lions
in the Geological Gardens here, and not
10 very long ago it was observed that one of
the noble beasts seemed to be in
q langushibg condi5ion, that is to say, more
than usually SO, for the conventional lion of
the menagarie is naturally rather anguish
ing and "seedy" looking creature. and after
due consultation among the scientific men
who preside over the institution, it was de-
cided to try the effect Of giving the old fellow
q glass of punch, on the principle that man
feels better under the exhiIarating influence
of Q gentle stimulant, and ergo, why not q
lion aieiii 8fm - tf'@tsi eH - s79
= This idea was received with great favor,
but after it. WAS definitely decided upon there
arose the more serious question of how to
induce the patient to- imbibe the liquid. for it
is an established TACT wild animals as q part
of their savage and ,uncultvated nature, have
the strongest antipathy toward alcoholic
liquors, and in addition to this difficulty
there was another which would have been |
serious even in the case of medicine devoid
of alcoholic properties, for the old maxim |
that You can lead horse to water, but you
can't make him drink" holds good with
respect to all animals, whether horses or |
lions, and 1T seemed ct first that the case in
question was about to turn out like the fable |
Of bslling the ost--the measure proposed was |
excellent, but 'whb was going to carry it out.
However, man, y Possessed of more inge-
nuity. or, at any rate, has more resources
than the sage rats in the fable, who decided I
to bell their cunning foe, and SO it turned out |
that the difficulty was overcome by means Of
brilliant stratsgem., A committee Of doc
tors and keepers repaired to the spot where
the ailng king Of beasts lay, and with due
care proceeded to concocta quart or so Of hot
and doubtless medicated punch, and then
came the 'strategem, which was to induce the
patient to yawn. AID so,affbrd an opportunity |
for giving him the dose. couple Of keep
ers were first stationed on the other side Of
the cage. opposite the doctors. who stood
facing the lion, the latter probably thinking
that he was merely being interviewed by q
party Of vulgar sight-seefS and certainly I'M
suspecting OF the design THEY had in view, and
of how he was to be taken IN, or rather how
he was to be made to take the punch in, and
when all was ready these keepers began to
irritate the noble beast BY various means,
such as gently tickling him with iron rods,
stirring him up with poles, ETC., oil with a
view to make him open his mouth, which
was, in any case, the first thing to be
achieved. But the old fellow had expe-
rienced so much of such TICKLING and
stirring up in his day, that the only effsct was
to induce few languid winks and slight
motion of the body ss if to escape. Then they
tried pricing his mouth open, but it was no
go, and at last the chief old doctor said to the
keepers: "My men, You must try some more
energetic measures, suppose for instance you
were to twist his TAIL don't you think that
would induce him 10 open his mouth" This
suggestion was accordingly acted upon and in
q moment more by means Of q stout pair of
tongs, the tail was seized and the spiral
motion impaired to it. et m.aea
The effect was magical; the old rascal
started up from his COUGHING position with
the first twist of his tail. Is if galvanic
shook had struck him, and with the second
turn of the tongs he threw up his head. and
let off q prolonged roar.L This was the very
for which the scientist were striving, and
amid the most intense excitement, the boss
doctor made a. dash forward, and with one
shot projected the quart Of hot punch from
gigantic syringe directly, down the throat of
the astonished aninaal. This cunning science