The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-03-22
ANIMALS THEIR OWN DOCTORS.

An Instinct that Medical Men Might Take
Advantage of.
M. Delaunay, in recent communication to
the French Biological society, observed that
medicine, as practiced by animals, is thor
oughly empirical, but that the same may be
said of that practiced by inferior human races,
and, in other words, by the majority of the
human species. Animals instinctively choose
such food as is best suited to them. M.
Delaunay maintains that the human race also
shows this instinct, and blames medical men
for not paying sufficient respect to the likes
and dislikes of the patients, which he believes
to be guide that may be depended on.
Women are more often hungry than men. and
they do not like the same kinds OF food;
nevertheless, in asylums for aged poor, men
and women are put on precisely the same regi-
men. Infants scarcely weaned are given a
diet suitable to adults, meat and wine, which
they dislike and which disagree with them.
M. Delaunay investigated this question in the
different asylums of Paris, and ascertained that
children do not like meat before they are
about five years of age. People who like salt,
vinegar, etc., ought to be allowed to satisfy
their tastes. Lorain always taught that with
regard to food peoples likings are the best
guide. A large number of animals wash
birds, and ants. M. Delaunay lays down as a
general rule that there is not any species of
animal which voluntarily runs the risk Of in
haling emanations arising from their own ex-
crement. Some animals defecate far from
their habitations; others bury their excrement;
others carry to a distance the excrement of
their young. In this respect they show more
foresight than man, who retains for years ex-
crement in stationary cesspools, thus original
ing epidemics. If we turn our attention to
the question of reproduction, we shall see that
all mammals suckle their young, keep them
clean, wean them at the proper time, and
educate them; but these maternal instincts
are frequently rudimentary in women of
civilized nations. In fact, man may take a
lesson in hygiene from the lower animals.
Animals get rid of their parasites by using
dust, mud, clay, etc. Those suffering from
fever restrict their diet, keep quiet, seek
darkness and airy places, drink water, and
sometimes even plunge into it. When a dog
has lost its appetite it eats that species of
grass known as dogs grass (chiendent),
which acts as an emetic and purgative. Cats
also eat grass. Sheep and cows, when i'll,
seek out certain herbs. When dogs are con-
stipated they eat fatty substances, such as
oil and butter, with avidity, until they are
purged. The same thing is observed in
horses. An animal suffering from chronic
rheumatism always keeps as far as possible in
the sun. The warrior ants have regularly Or
ganized ambulances. Latreilla cut the
antenne of an ant, and other ants came and
covered the wounded part with a transparent
fluid secreted from their mouths. fla Chin
panzee be wounded, it stops the bleeding by
placing its hand on the wound, or dressing it
with leaves and grass. When an animal has
wounded leg or arm hanging on, it COM
pletes the amputation by means of its teeth.
A dog on being stung in the muzzle by a
viper was observed to plunge his head re-
peatedly for several days into running water.
This animal eventually recovered. A sport
ing dog was run over by a carriage. During
three weeks in winter it remained lying in
brook, where its food was taken to it; the
animal recovered. A terrier dog hurt its
right eye; it remained lying under counter,
kept close to the fire. 1t adopted general
treatment, rest and abstinence from food.
The local treatment consisted in licking the
upper surface of the paw, which it applied to
the wounded eye, again licking the paw when
it became dry. Cats also, when hurt, treat
themselves by this simple method of continu-
Gus irrigation. M. Delaunay cites the case of
a cat which remained for some time lying on
the bank ola river; also that of another cat
which had the singular fortitude to remain for
48 hours under a jet of cold water, which M.
Delaunay considered to be more certain than
any of the other methods. In view of these
interesting facts, we are, he thinks, forced to
admit that hygiene and therapeutics, as prac-
ticed by animals, may, in the interests of
psychology, be studied with advantage. He
could 60 even further, and say that the veteri-
nary medicine, and perhaps human medicine,
could gather from them some useful indica-
tons, precisely because they are prompted by
instincts, which are efficacious in the preserva-
ton OF health.