The Portland daily press., 1894-01-02
LION. FOR 4 PATIENT.
Nero's Broken Leg Fut in spIints After
Some Difficulty.

1t is no joke to set lions leg. That's
what three surgeons said after going
through the the experience yesterday.
In the first place it is blind sort of
lob. as there are no data from similar
cases to 20 by-and then there is the.lion
himself to be considered, for if he be.
comes feverish and gets loose, wholesale
homicide is likely to be the result.
Nero, who plays hynoticn part in
Huber's Museum, is the lion who was
operated on. Some weeks ago he quar-
relied with Victoria, lioness, and she
bit him on the leg. The wound seemed
to heal all right, and when Nero got
well he became risky 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
as many days. getting more wretched
every day, and then the museum people
decided that something must be done
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 to him on Friday and he would ex-
anime the leg. He got DIR. Oscar E.
Busener and DR.. Mckay as assistants,
and thirty-seven medical students,
whom he armed with weapons varying
from barrel saves to stove covers, 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 table drawn up alongside of the oper-
ating table. The latter is about7 feet
long BY broad, well padded with cush-
ions and furnished with straps and
chains
speech, in which he said that if Nero
should get loose everyone was to stand
still, and not hurt him with their weap-
ons unless absolutely necessary. Then
the door Of the cage was opened and
rope thrown around his majesty's neck
He bit it In two promptly. Another was
thrown around him, and he was dragged
part way out, resisting stoutIy.
with great suddenness, going clean over
the operating table tossthe 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 Train
er D'Osta. Don't do anything to
arouse him. He won't hurt you"
DR.. Amling and the trainer walked
over toward Nero, and the students fol-
lowed, carefully keeping their weapons in
front of them. Then they got quite
near. Nero opened his mouth and made
a few leonine remarks in an undertone.
That was all that was necessary.
One of the students said "Shoo!;" and
then fattened himself against. the wall.
the lion promenaded, then he submitted
to the cajoleries Of D'Osta, DR.. 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 cush-
ions and spit them out disdainfully.
Four grains of morphine were injected
hypodermically, and cocaine was injected
to produce local anaesthesia.
When Nero appeared to be under the
influence of the drugs, the doctors began
to examine the Wound. At the first
touch the lion got IBIS front paw free and
made slap at the head of DR.. Bowers,
who was standing at his shoulder, that
Aio h1his @Ap edC SrfibC ullBO AO. SudppCo
at the surgekn's aim 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 reduced, and four wounds
made by the 1ioness's teeth were dressed.
The entire operation lasted about.two
hours.
Then Nerdwas dragged back into his
cage and tlken to the Museum He
seemed lit le puzzled at first by the
splints andTlbandages on his leg. but
made no e Tort to tear them off, and
when seen a Sun reporter last night
seemed to Hd comfortable.
The surg@ tns say that if he leaves the
bandages aHpe he will be about lin four
or five week,t but will walk with limp.
Nero is fourteen months old and weighs
about 400 pounds. New York Sun.