Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-24
THE DOG-FAT CURE.
An Alleged New Remedy for Con-
sumption,
New York World.

New I ork World.
The attention of q reporter of The
World was attracted yesterday after
aeon while at the dog-pound by two
boys who were carefully skinning and
dressing dog that hal Just been drown
ed according to law for vagrancy.
what are you doing that for?" was
asked,
For consumption" replied one of
boys "For two-dollar BILL" said the
other.
1t was finally explained that many
residents of the east side of the city
firmly believe that dog-fat is an infal-
hble cure fol consumption.
"The boys told you the TRUTH" said
DR.. Ennever, the veterinary stationed
at the pound, who was next questioned.
ga great many people believe that dog
fat and even the flesh of dogs is a sure
cure for consumption, and on average
one dog week is taken from here and
reduced to medicine"
'Who comes after them?"
Generally women, either Germans
or Jews. They come up here, and af-
ter carefully examining all the dogs,
select one that seems to be healthy and
fat They then point out their selec
ton to the attendant, who ties a string
round its neck or marks the animal in
some way as to Identify it. The woman
is told on what day that particular
beast will be drowned; she returns at
the time specified, gets the body, and
turns 1t over to some of the hoodlums
round here, who for a dollar or two
skin it and take off the fat. If she
wishes the carcass they dress it for her
just as a butcher would a lamb or calf.
No, yellow dogs have no value in this
way; black dog is always chosen in
preference to any other color, if he is
fat and healthy"
Glow do they take the medicine, as
| suppose they call it?'
In different ways Some reduce it
to oil and take it as u LIQUID by the
spoonful; others fry it out and then
after it gets cold spread it on bread as
you would butter and eat it Sc"
do you eat the meat, too?''
Yes; and as matter of fact, it's
not bad eating. I've tried it myself,
though | was not aware of it at the
time 1t looks like young veal"
Have you any regular customers"
1--WE have one, a Mrs. Farley, who
used to live at the corner of Avenue
A and Sixteenth street. She was pretty
far gone in consumption, but she used
to come every other week for five or
six months and get nice fat dog. /
have not seen her for some time, but |
don't think she's dead Some one told
me see was living over on Ninth ave-
nue.. But as general thing we don't
know our customers names This SUI
perstltlon is so general on the east side
that many of the drug stores keep dog
fat or oil in stock. There are any num-
Der of these household remedies for
different diseases. Though Vermont
and New hampshire the fat of skunks
Is used as cure for Group and rheu-
matism. Then at the South negroes
use dogs flesh as a cure for rheumat-
ism. The dog must be iet-black or the
medicine is without efficacy. When
the animal is chosen it is fed on moth
ing but the lungs and livers of raccoons
until 1t Is so fat it can hardly walk,
when 1t IS killed and eaten. After that
if the patient is not cured he Is per
fectly assured that his pains and aches
are attributable to some other cause.
During the last six years over Is oOv
dogs have been drownd at the pound
So far this year 3,007 have been re.
ceived, 2.674 drowned, 9S redeemed, 3
returned by order of the authorities,
and 232 are now awaiting death.