The Penn's Grove record., 1882-09-02
Dog Fat tor

The attention of a reporter WAS at
tracted yesterday afternoon, while at
the dog-pound, by two boys who were
carefully skinnIng and dressing a dog
that had just been drowned according
to law for vagrancy.
what are you doing that for?"
was asked.
"For consumption" replied one OF
the boys. "For q two-dollar BILL"
said the other.
II was finally explained that many
residents of the east side of the city
firmly believe that dog fat is an infal-
lible cure for consumption.
1.-THE boys told you the truth" said
DR.. Ennever. the veterinary stationed
at the pound, who was next ques-
toned. great many people believe
that dog fat and even the flesh o.
dogs Is a sure sure for consumption,
and on an average one dog a week is
taken from here and reduced to medi-
cine"
"Wh, comes after them"
"Generally women, either Germans
or Jews. They come up here, and
after carefully examining all the dogs
select one that seems to be healthy
and fat. They then point out their se'
lection to an attendant, who ties a
string round It's neck or marks b
animal In some way so as to identity
it. The woman IL 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 ii and take off h
fat. IF she wishes the carcass they
dress It for her just as q butcher would
a lamb or calf. No, yellow dogs have
no value in this way a black dog is
always chosen in preference to any
other color, II he is fat and healthy"
"How do they take the medicine, as
I suppose they call itP"
"In different ways. Some reduce
it to oil and take 1t as a liquid by the
spoonful others try it out and then
after it gets cold spread 1t on bread as
you would butter and eat 1t So"
"Do they eat the meat, too
"Yes; and, as a matter of fact, it's
not bad eating. I've tried 1t myself,
though l was not aware of 1t at the
time. 1t looks like young veal"
"Have you any regular customers?
"We had one, q Mrs. Farley. who
used to live at the corner Of Avenue A
aud Sixteenth street. She was pretty
far gone with consumption, but she
used to come every other week for five
or six months and get q nice fat dog
I have not seen her for some time, bu'
I don't think she's dead. Some one
told me she was living ove on Ninth
n But ~ . general thing we
don't know eur customers names.
This superstition 10 so general on the
east side that many OF the drug stores
keep dog fat or oil in stock. There are
any number of these household RENE
dies for different diseases. Through
Vermont and New Hampshire the fai
of skunks is used - q cure for Group
and rheumatism. Then at the South
negroes use dogs flesh as a cure foi
rheu mstIsn n. The dog must be jet
black or the medicine Is without EN-
cscy. When tina animal is chosen II
is fed on nothing but the luDgs and
livers of until 1t Is so fat II
can hardly walk, when it is killed and
eaten. After that II the patient is not
cured he is perfectly assured that his
pains aud aches are attributable to
some other cause"
During the last six years over S,OOO
dogs have been drowned at the ponnd
So far this year 1907 have been re
eeivsd, se74 drowned, IS redeemed,
: returned by order Of the authoritie I
and 232 are nov awaiting DEATH
Nct0 York World.