Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-09-26
ANIMAL SURGERY.
.a,,or the Fsngs of Nenomons SER
t'eD'" r.nf--Ciaws and Biils.


penis
o9d nbase of animal dentistry
~, chemist to New York CORE
san AM els the removal of the fangs
sPu'''';sopous snakes Formerly these
o. braken off by using piece of
W. and hammer. This gave salts
W., I'm most instances, but not al
on several occasions cobras
~ faprs had been broken off have
80 ~ teeDers or neighboring animals
i,b serious and even fatal results.
RI reason lies in the fact that the
IL which secrete the virus are sep
80 from the fangs. They are prac.
Ill, little poison-bags situated in
~ .-,m and connected with the fangs
w. ~, hort tubes. The fangs are cham
l.d so rs "a be half hollow. When
~ in use they are folded back and
,lose the tubes by their position.
when the reptile employs them they
are thrown forward, the tubes are
oreued, and the glands excited to the
Utmost. 1t was found that when the
tSng is extracted it pulls away with 1t
tbe tubes and the glands in whole or
in mart. The present practice is based
,r6n this fact. The serpent is secure
Iy fastened. the best method being to
Lanc him up by stout cord tied
aronnd the neck. The waist is fastened
10 \ bar to prevent squirming. The
mouth is forced open, or when the
snake opens ii in rage is held open by
a piece of wood placed far back be-
tween the Jaws. The dentist clutches
the fangs with his forceps as far down
upon the roots as he can possibly reach,
and pulls slightly twisting the instru-
ment The fangs come out without
much difficulty. and with them are al.
ways the poison tubes and almost al
WAYS large pieces of the poison glands.
The wounds thus occasioned heal in
about four days, leaving a small,
smooth scar. The glands seem after
this to become absorbed by the reptiles
system. The cobra is the easiest snake
TO operate upon, being heavy, slow,
and stupid: the fer du lance of the
West Indies is the most difficult, being
light. quick, and very fierce. The
rattlesna6e, copperheaa p1occasin,
sdder. and viper come in between tbs
Two extremes. 1t is wonderful how
similar all these snakes are so far as
their death dealing apparatus is con-
cerned. They all seem to have been
turned from the same general model.
There is one very prevalent disor-
der, which. though not oil dental char
acter, is treated chiefly by animal dent
lists. 1t is that series of diseases or
birds Of which the hooking bird pip
is the best type. The ailment is prob
ably occasloned by the mechanical IT.
ritaton of the food used, aud consists
of horny growth on the tongue.
which gradually extends from the root
TO the tip. As the abnormal growth
progresses tine bird finds ever increas-
inc difficulty to eat and sing, finally
losing both its appetite and power of
music. Painful sickness is an invari-
able and death a not uncommon con-
sequence. The treatment IS simplicity
itself The birds mouth is forced
open until the tongue protrudes, when
the dentist loosens the horny scale
with his tuger-nail ut the root of the
tongue. lie scratches it forward, the
horn looseuing with neither difficulty
nor pain, until thG up is reacneu, when
81 falls OIL a clean, healthy. though
rather sensitive surface is left. which
tougheny Ia a few hours, the bird re-
gaining its health and song atthesame
time. The operation lasts only one or
Fo minutes. Anyone who possesses
me least patience can do it without
loUblo, The animal dentist or bird
tIuc.er charges S15J or 81 for the SER
vice and regards ID as one of the soft
snaps ot the profession
"A trouble similar in nature arises
fum growth Of the bill or claws when
bird has no opportunity to wear
.hem down by regular use. The beak
fled aud the claws are clipped with
uUp scissors Care should be taken
-. 'n touch the quick, which runs
aauga Doth quill and claws, aud COR
responds closely to the quick Of human
4Hs III this IS touched il not only
o"la.. great pain but also more or
less 1rmuyHMtge