Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1889-04-13
How AnImaIs rractice MedIcIne.

A large number Of animals wash
themselves and bathe, as elephants,
stays, birds and ants. If we turn our
attention 10 the question Of reproduc-
ton, We shall see that all animals
suckle their young, keep them clean,
wean them at the proper time, and ed
ucate them; bnt these maternal in
shncts are frequently rudimentary in
women Of civilized nations. In fact.
man may take 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 il.
When a dog has lost its appetite il eats
that species Of grass known as dogs
grass fchiendent), which acts as an
emetic and purgative. Cats also eat
grass. Sheep and COWS, when i'll. seek
ont certain herbs. When dogs are con-
stipGted they eat fatty substances,
such as oil aud butter, with ayidity,
uniIl they are purged. The same thing
Is observed IN horses. An animal suf-
feriug from chronic rho umatism always
keeps as far as possible in the sun. The
warrior ants have regu arly organized
ambulances. Latreille cut the antenns
Of an ant, and other N Is came and
covered the wounded par with trans
parent fluid secreted from their mouths.
II chimpanzee be wounisd, il stops
the bleeding by placing It's hand on the
wound, or dressing it with leaves or
grass. When an animal has awounded
leg or arm hanging on, il completes the
amputation by means Of its teeth.
A dog on being stung in the muzzle
by viper was observed TO plunge its
head repeatedly for several days into
running water. This animal eventually
recovered. A sporting dog was run over
by a carriage. During three weeks in
winter il remained lying in a brook,
where its food was taken TO il; the ami
NAL recovered. A terrier dog hurt his
right eye; it remained lying under q
counter, avoiding light and heat. al
though habitually il kept close to the
FIRE. II adopted a 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 eve, again licking tie paw
when il became dry. Cats also, when
hurt, treat themselves by this simple
method Of continuous irrigation. NJ.
Delauney cites the case of a cat which
remained for some time living on the bank
OF a river also that of another cat which
had the singular fortitude to remain for
forty-eight hours under jet Of cold wa
ter. Animals suffering from traumat;c
fever treat themselves by the continued
application Of cold, which NJ. Delaney
considers 10 he more certain than any Of
the other methods. In view Of these in
teresting facts, we are, he thinks, forced
TO admit that hygiene and therapeutics.
as practiced by animals, may, in the IN
terests Of physiology, be studied with
advantage. He cosNl go even further,
and say that veterinary medicine, and
perhaps human medicine, could gather
from them some useful indications, pre-
eisely because they are prompted by in
stinct, which are efficacious in the pres
eryation or the restoration of health.
British Medical Journal.