Connecticut western news., 1888-08-01
A HORSE HOSPITAL

A HORSE HOSPITAL 1 Scenes Attending an Equine
 Surgical Operation. In the Clinic Room of a Chicago
 Veterinary College. Thcrc is very close analogy between man and horso and the 75 students at the Chicago Veterinary college sec this demonstrated every day. One of the patients now in the hospital is a sorrcl st ,llion which came thcro a few weeks sinco with a broken shoulder blade. A piece of bone was taken out through an incision made by Dr. With CTS and tho horse will soon be as good as. rcw. Another has had two teeth chisclcd apart from his jaw bono and cats his oats quite contentedly without them. Another had one of the quar- ters of foot taken off, nccessitated by a quittor, originating from an ulcerated corn.
 There are as many different ailments presented as at hospitals for our own race. Perhaps tn, most common of horse troubles are bone spavins, and the most frequent operation at the vet erinary college is that of firing horse. This is the first precaution taken before the operation. The rope is drawn from the fcttered hind foot to point on the breast between the fore legs, where it passes through a ring fastened on collar around the horses neck. This forms pulley, and a slight pull leaves tho patient but three legs to stand on, soon convincing him that kicking is out of tho question. Tho next step is to blind fo'd the horso, thon his spavined leg is crippled; after that-the firing.
 A horses sufferings will about equal a mans under the same conditions, and just as q high-strung, nervou, sensi- tive man will feel more pain than he of q dull, stupid, phlegmatic naturo, so with the horsc-the thoroughbred, with dilatcd nostrils and quivering nerves, suffers an intensity of torture quite impossible to the scrub. The analogy continues when thu high bred man, with the high-bred horse, suffers tho greater agony, marked only by deep groana, while he from the common herd suffers less, raises an outcry and com- motion indicating nothing less than murder. Blood will tell. This bay horse was of the scrub class, and had the students and helpers had their way, would have been thrown, but Dr Hughes said: 'No; to fro spavin properly the tcndons and hide must be at a tension, and not limp as when the patient is prostrate," so the bay, with his nose held tight in tho clutch of a twist, and one leg constantly jerked from under him, twisted himself into all sorts of positions during the whole hour of tho operation. He was followed by a high -lifed sorrel, which, although ugly and hard to manage before road wagon, went through the same ordeal of fire with an obstinate determin ation that seemed to say: kill me if you will; l will die unconqu ,red."
 The red hot ''lining iron'' first burns vertical stripe over the hook, in all about foot in length; then from this stripe on either side is burnt out ten or dozen strips of hide, other irons at white heat being continually fetched as those used grow cold; one side of tho leg thus striped, tho other side is fired in like manner, and then the more cruel ''puncturiug iron' is put to the torture. Its point is folced to burn it's way to tho very centre of the knco bono, not one, but 90, perforations being made All throu 5h this ordeal the gallant sor- rcll has stood with legs braced and with scarco a trcmor or a groan. He is now allowed what rest his burnt leg will permit him fol several hours, and then begins the worst of his troubles. A powder made pin cipally of Spanish flies is rubbed into the sores made by the firing, and for three days the horse, supported by three legs, swings ths maimed fourth, which all about tho hook is a mass o blisters. This blisteriag is washed of after three days and lard applied every day for four weeks. He can't be al lowed to lie down or to reach this leg for two or three weeks and his head i. tied so high that to lie down is impos sib,e It will b, a month before ht leaves the hospital and two months be- foro ho can be driven, but he is then sound and his lamen ess has disappeared. The cost IS $10 for the operation and $1.5o for every days keep and attend arcc-say $50 in all.
 A horse can sleep while standing much easier than a man can. Ho look toward fixed point to steady himself then braces his legs i, such name , that tho joints arc locked, ane 7 thus his entire weight is thrown on tn , ibrous tissue and taken from his mus 7 c!cs, giving his entire muscular system the needed rest. Strolling through th 5 various city barns tho saunterer notice l that perhaps two out of ev,ry fit.