The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-30
HAD A LION FOR A PATIENT.
NERo'S BROKEN Ire pUr nv sPLfH1s
AFTER SoME DIEFTCULTY
-Four era,n- OF Morpn,ne First Iujso,.s-

Four GRAINS or NorpnIne First Inieoied-
Aner BeInR STRAPPED Dpwh us Tore =
Paw Free aud Struck at the ssurReer.
II is no Joke to set n lions leg. That's what
three surgeons said aitsr going through the
experience yesterday. In the first place II IL .
blind sort OF Job. as there nre no data from
similar cases to go by--and then there IL the
lion himself to be considered. for II he be-
comes feverish and gets loose. W holssale homi-
eide Is likely to be the result.
Nero. who plays hypnotic" part In HUI
bers Museum. is the lion who wns operated
on. Some weeks ago he auarrelled with Vic
toria, lioness. and she bit him on the leg.
The wound seem ed to heal all right and when
Nero got we'll he became risky again. and
acted In q way that reused her ladyship 10
anger once more.
This time she seized him By the thigh Of the
right hind leg and bit In to the bone. Nero
went about on three legs for as many days.
getting more wretched every day. and then
the museum people decided that something
must be dons or he would become useless for
purposes other than TO act as an ornamental
rug. So they went TO the College Of
Veterinary Surgeons at pa East Twenty
fourth street and stated the case TO DR.. Henry
AmlinG. He told them to bring the lion 70
him on Friday and he would examine tho leg.
He got DR.. Oscar L. Busener and Dr. Mckay
as assistants. and thirty-seven medical stu-
dents. whom he armed with weapons VARYING
from barrel slaves to stove pokers. as body
guard. Then he was ready for his majesty.
Nero arrived in his cage on an express wagon
at l o'clock in the afternoon. The cage was
pushed out OF the wagon upon q table drawn
up alongside OF the operating table. The late
ter Is about feet long by o broad, we'll padded
with cushions and furnished with straps and
Trainer Fred D'Osta made little speech. In
which he said that II Nero, should get loose
with their weapons unless absolutely neces-
snry. Then the door Of the cage was opened
He bit 1t In two promptly. Another was thrown
around him. and he was dragged part way out.
Then he chang ed his mind and came with
great spddenness, going clean over the opera
@ srsbbea tSs lon thu n.S
Nero shook him of and walked on three legs
dT to the Gshs5 end q the
IPosta: Don't do anything to arouse him.
DR.. Rmlins and tho trainer walked over
toward Nero, and the students followed. care
fully keeping their weapons in front OF thenn.
mouth and made a few leonine remarks Ia an
ns ~ f.. Thaf WAS al that was G tsn
nattened himself up against the wall followed
by the oihsrs For Aye minutes the lion
les OF Dosta ' Dr. A9iinG. and his nssistaSts
and entered the cage.
A few moments later they succeeded In strap
ping him upon tho operating table, after ne
had chewed up the cushions and spit them out
injected hypodermicay. and cocaine was in-
lected to produce local anmsthesia- When
Nero appeared to be under the influence OF
the drugs. the doctors began to examine tho
wound. At the first touch tho lion got
his front paw free and made sian
Ct the head Of pr; Bowers, who was standing at
II 1t had hit him. AT the same time he snap
ped at the surgeon's arm and just missod IT,
hatn0 ninnaA lac
quiet and groaned. The surgeons found that
there was partial fracture OF the lower third
OF the thigh bone. This was reduced. and
four wounds made by tho lioness's teeth were
dressed. The entire operation lasted about
two hours.
Then Nero was dragged back into his cage
and taken to the Museum. He seemed a little
puzzled at first by the splints and bandaRes on
his leg but m Ade no effort to tear them of and
when seen bya SUNreporter last night seemed
to be comfortable
The surgeons say that II he leaves the band.
ages alone he will be about In four or
five weeks but will walk with limp. Nero 10
fourteen months old and weighs about 40
pounds.