Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-07-21
NEW YORK LETTER.
ANhoUR's TALK WITH THE LION DOC
TOR OF CENTRAL PARK.
How Medicine IL Given 10 wind Animals
Association for Cheap Doctors and
Medteine--Jack Dempsey.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispstch.l
NV yopu Jnlv On 1894


Jacks not well, air" he said
~ hat is the matter with the old fell
low"
Waterman. think it's the hot weather.
iis ddAt touch his meat. and he mopes
prnird the cage more dead than alive
All right; III fix him up dose of
medicine. Do YOU want 20 see how sick
ion is doctored?" asked the Doctor, turn
iar 20 the writer, who had overheard tho
ccuversation. " Jack is probably suffering
from slight stomach trouble. The hot
wgsfher often Affects our charges that
way
DocroRISo lion.
without further explanation the Doctor
opened cabinet in one corner Of his Of
t.e and displayed formidable array OF
bottles. Above them on a shelf were q
aet of surgical instruments. Long bladed
knives for the dissection of elephants and
other thick skinned subjects; saws big
enough 20 sever the leg OF a rhinOceros;
forceps with long, strong handles, Tor
pulling lions teeth and numerous other
strange implements Of the veterinary sur
geOu's art. such as are required In dlS-
peusarv for the treatment of almost any
species Of wild animal known TO the natu-
raj historian. Out of big bottle the Doe
tor poured quarter Of pound OF brown
powder. THIS he mixed with similar
quantity of light-cOlOred stud, and the
two compounds were placed in a mortar
and well mixed with half a pint OF trans
parent fluid.
There" said the superintendent, rs he
poured the mixture into "a pint bottle.
THAT'S enough apti-bilious medicine To
straighten out the livers Of whole hos
pital Of human patients
ADMINISTERING MEDICINE.
docs a lion require as much medicine
rs that?" asked the reporter.
" IL won't do him any harm. Besides
that we must make allowances for waste.
You see we can't administer medicine to a
sick lion as we do 10 sick men. Jack has
killed ms man and II would be "a rather
cherries job 20 go into ms cage say twice
"a day and feed him n wine-glasstull of this
medicine with a tablespoon. We put 1t in
his meat and let him eat it,
" But suppose he doesn't eat it?"
"Then we must tempt him with live
food. Say q rabbit with the medicine
rubbed into its fur. OF course when lion
won't eat, heroic measures must be adopted.
He must be bound securely with ropes
after being chlOrofOrmed, or otherwise put
under control, and the medicine must be
forcibly administered. | don't think Jack
will need such treatment, however. I'll
have Tom soak his meat in this mixture
and he viii probably lick of enough in the
morning TO cure his sickness.
Now" continued the Doctor, after the
night-watchman had left the Office TO visit
his patient, lis the time of the year when
most of our carniverOus animals suffer
from stomach complaints. 10 rarely hap
pens though that an attack Is really Sc
rious."
sIcKLY SEASONS FOR ANIMALS.
"What is your other sickly season."
between November and May. During
the cold months, particularly in the win
ter and late in the spring, the monkeys
and apes pass through their annual ordeals
They are afflicted with lung-troubles. Ami
mails die of the same diseases that carry off
the human race. Crowley, for instance,
had pneumonia and a disordered liver.
One Of his kidneys was almost entirely de-
strOyed, and he lived the last year or two
Of his life with only one lung. Indeed
Mr.. Crowley was "a marvellous instance Of
strength of constitution. He had Inaladies
enough to kill three men. and yet up to the
time he caught his fatal illness be was the
liveliest member Of our family. He caught
his death cold in cold weather. 1t is the
same with most monkeys. We have TO
watch them very carefully the first cold
days of the season, and their house must
be kept at a uniform temperature. The
same precautIon is required in all Of our
buildings. II We let the furnace fire 90 ont
one single winter night We might lose 10y
death within week $4,000 worth of ami
mails"
SICK MONKEYS.
Are sick monkeys easily treated?"
"Sometimes. but by no means always.
j have had some tolerably rough fights try
ing TO convince an obstinate monkey that a
dose of medicine is necessary 10 save his
life. When monkey is sick it is always
more or less difficult TO give him his medi-
cine. You see he always smells his food
before he eats and won't take dO0tOred
food when his stomach is squeanish.
" How do you give II 70 him then"
1--WE bag MIN. We slip large bag over
him and then get him under control.
have been bitten though more than once
in giving a dose with a spoon. Our me-
thod of treating bears. panthers, Loop
ards, and tigers IS the same as we use with
lions"
Did you ever treat hippopotamus ?"
I'VE have been extremely fortunate with
our specimens, and with the exception Of
giving them an occasional dose of gallon
or so of anti-ch0lera mixture | have mad
no trouble with them. We have similar
good luck with our rhinoccrOs."
ELEPHANTS GOOD PATIENTS.
How about your elephants?"
Elephants, as a rule, are good patients.
They are sensible ana seem TO realize what
the doctor is irving TO do TO them. Still
YOU never can tell when an elephant will
take notion to change his position. Then
il is better for the doctor 20 be a safe dis
lance from the big fellows trunk. re-
member fewyears ago treating one Of our
elephants, called Tip, for heavy cold that
promised TO develop into pneumonia. l
don't know how he caught his cold, but II
was enough to kill a regiment of men.
You could have heard him cough a quarter
Of a mile away, and when he had pa
Toxysm of coughing the building shook as
though a tornado had struck 10. / con-
cluded TO devote one whole night TO the
case and save Tips life If possible.
OLD TIP"
"This was tho treatment. had the
elephant house heated to as high point
IS was safe for the other animals. Then
7 took four attendants and started in.
First gave Ftp gallon Of raw whiskey.
lie liked 1t. too, aud gave a snort of delight
when he emptied the tub that was almost
human. Then had him covered with
blankets that had been soaked an boiling
water. Every ten minutes these blankets
we're changed for fresh ones. IL was a
regular Turkish bath. and as the liquor
began TO work, Tip became reconciled 10
the treatment. Indeed. don't think there
was ever q merrier elephant in Central
Park. He helped TO put the blankets in
place. and once playfully caught one Of the
attendants by the slack of his trousers and
tossed him half wayacrOss the room merely
rs a Joke. When the effects of the liquor
wore OF more whiskey was given to him,
and by morning he was out OF danger. 1t
was hard work though"
MARROW ESCAPES.
"Did YOU ever have any narrow escapes
In doctoring wild aninalsl"
Twice. Several years ago / had leg
broken while giving q camel q dose OF
medicine. You wouldn't think sick
camel could be dangerous patient.
Neither did /, but have changed my mind
eince. This is the way it happened. was
called one night while was sitting here
lust az am this evening by Tom Dono-
hue who said that our old bull camel had
the collie. went out ia the paddock and
found the ugly brute groaning and rolling
ia agony. hurried 10 the medical cup
BOARD and filed bottle with the strongest
mixture | had, then / went back 70 the
paddock. BY that time the camel was on
his feet As we came near him he fought.
We finally got rope around his neck and
drew him up TO the fence. Here We met