The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-14
A REMARKABLE OPERATION.
Falling the Tooth of a Hippopotamus-A
MoIar -Four Inches Long.

AoOth
MoIar Four Inches Long.
George" the big hippopotamus be-
longing TO a travelling menagerie in win
ter quarters at Philadelphia, had tooth
pulled the other day. For some time
past he had been ailing and his keepers
finally discovered that his trouble arose
from the decay of one of his ponderous
molars The tooth was affecting his
eyesight, and after several conferences
of surgeons it was decided that it must
be extracted. Great preparations were
made for the event and several we'll
known scientists were invited TO wit
ness the operation.
George was confined In his pen at the
end of the elephant room just above
the stall where Basil and her daughter,
Baby Ruth, the four-mOnths-old ele-
plant, are quartered- When the sur
geons entered the apartment he seemed
to be suffering great pain and lay in
semi-stupor in the corner of his stall.
1t was only after he was repeatedly
called by name that he lifted his i'm
mense frame and walked to the edge of
the fence that bounded his captivity.
Then Head Keeper George w. Arsting-
stall patted him on the nose and in
duced him to open his mouth 50 that
the tooth could be plainly seen. Mr..
Arstingstall explained the nature and
effect of the trouble, and told how it
would eventually render the animal
blind unless it was remedied. To give
the scientists an exact idea of the mag
nitude Of the impending operation the
keeper had few measurements taken
When fully open the jaws were found
to be a little over three feet apart, the
depth Of the jowls being about six
inches less. Across the front Of the
mouth the animal measured eighteen
inches. Four big tuSks, sixteen inches
in length, protruded from the lower
jaw and an equal number from the one
above. The diseased tooth was away
at the back of the mouth Though the
most clumsy and ill-favored looking
beast imaginable George" seemed 20
be intelligent and even affectiopate,
responding TO each command Of his
master.
1t was intended to chloroform the
beast, but after considering the matter
Mr. ArstingstaIl concluded that II
would be better not 70 do so
as he feared that i would be impossible
to pry open Georges jaws when
ne was once asleep. Besides, il WOULD
take several gallons OF the an@sthetic
10 stupef- tbe animal and its admins
tration might result fatally.
Accordingly two O. the assistants
tempted George" 20 keep his mouth
open by holding slices Of bread in front
OF his eyes, while Keeper Arstingstal
made ready his foTceps- Several times
the keeper touched the tooth with the
cod steel, bns each time the ANNA,
pulled Z way with a yell Of pain Water
was streaming from his eres and biOod
was oozing out II drops all over BIS
head and neck.
The other animals in the room, At
traeted by his cries. began 20 trumpet
ard groan in sympathy. The noise was
dea.euinx. Evea 'fBaby Ruth" seemed
70 realize that something unusual was
going on.
Finally. II a dexterozss tvist, the
operator dxed his forceps, and Il = sec
end the whole t-oB Die was ove-
George gave al awfIl yell Is the
tooth. which proved u % Iaorr than
four inches long. Jeff his head. and then
.etf - bscs III ms pen with igh q
relief Before leav.aE him the keepers
dressed the wounded Jaw with cotton
and gave The b.z water monster some
tempting dellcac4e2 -NasalnztCo S.Ar.