Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-02
HAD A LION FOR A PATIENT.
Nero's Broken Leg Put in Splints
After Some Difficulty.

1t is no joke to set a lions leg. says the
New York Sun. That's what three sur
geons said after going through the exper-
fence the other day in New York. In the
first place 1t is a blind sort of job, as there
are no data from similar cases to 60 by
and then there is the lion himself to be
considered, for IL he becomes feverish and
gets loose, wholesale homicide is likely to
be the result.
Nero. who plays a hypnotic" part in a
New York museum, is the lion who was
operated on. Some weeks ago he uuarreled
with Victoria, lioness, and she bit him
on the leg. The wound seemed to heal all
right. and when Nero got well he became
frisky again, and acted in a way that
reused her ladyship to 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 many
days, getting more wretched every day, and
then the museum people decided that some
tnihs must be done or he would become
useless Tor purposes other than to act as an
ornamental rug. So they went to the Col
iege or Veterinary Surgeons and stated the
case to DR.. Henry Amling He told them
to bring the lion to him and he would ex-
anime the leg He got two surgeons as
DENTS whom he armed with weapons vary
ing 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 1 O'Clock in the afternoon. The
cage was pushed out of the wagon upon a
tapie drawn up alongside OF the operating
tapie; me latter Is about feet long by q
broad. Well padded with cushions and fur
nlshed with straps and chains.
Trainer Fred D'Osta made little speech
IN which he said that If Nero should get
loose every one was to stand still, and not
Lurt MIN with their weapons unless abso-
iuteiy necessary. Then the door of the
cage was orened and rope thrown around
his majesty's neck. He bit II in two
promptly. Another was thrown around him
and he was dragged part way out. resist
ing stoutly.
Then he changed his mind and came out
with great suddenness, going clean over the
operating table to the ground at the further
end. DR.. Amling grabbed the lion by the
neck, but Nero shook him off and walked
on three legs down to the other end of the
room.
Keep perfectly quiet" shouted Trainer
D'osta. Don't do anything to arouse him.
He won't hurt YOU"
toward Nero, and the students followed,
carefully keeping their weapons In front of
them. Then they got quite near. Nero
opened his mouth and made few leonine
that was necessary
One of the students said 'Shoor' and then
fattened himself up against the wall, fol-
lowed by the others. For five minutes the
lion promenaded. then he submitted to the
cajoleries of DOsta, DIR. Amling, and his
assistants and entered the cage.
A few moments later they succeeded In
strapping him upon the operating table.
after he had chewed up the cushions and
spit them out disdainfully. Four grains of
morphine were injected hypodermicaiiy.
and cocaine was injected to produce local
anaesthesia. When Nero appeared to be
under the influence of the drugs the doc
tors began to examine the wound. At the
first touch the lion got his front paw free
and made a slap at the head of DR.. Bowers
who was standing at his shoulder, that
would have decapitated him If IL had hit
him. At the same time he snapped at the
surgeons arm and just missed it.
After being pinned down again Nero lay
quiet and groaned. The surgeons found
that there was a partial fracture of the
lower third of the thigh bone. This was re-
duced. and the four wounds made by the
liOnesS' 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
little puzzled at first by the spiints and
bandages on his Leg but made no effort to
tear them off. and when seen by a Sun re-
porter last night seemed to be comfortable
The surgeons say that IL he leaves the
bandages alone he will be about in four or
five weeks, but will walk with a limp. Nero
is fourteen months old and weighs about
40 pounds.