The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-04
OPERATION ON A SNAKE.
Doctors Take Blanket From a Boa
Constructors stomach.
From the Kansas City Star.

1LOIu me hdIl5dS lily SldF.
On Sunday, Aug. 49, Mrs. Rade Harden's
pet African boa constructor absent-mind-
eddy swallowed the blanket on which it
had been sleeping. Since that time Babe
has lain in her box thinking the matter
over and putting forth all her gastric
powers to digest the blanket But the
blanket, being of good stout Canton fan
mel, refused to yield to digestion, and it
became a serious question whether or not
it could stand the strain much longer. It
was determined, therefore. to perform
surgical operation on Babe and remove
the impeachment.
AT o'clock this morning Babe was
taken to the University Medical College
at Tenth and Campbell streets and placed
on an operating table in lecture room.
1t was extremely lively as to the first four
feet of body and heavy as to the other
four feet. The amphtheater was filled
with medical students, doctors and Wis
itors. Mrs. Harden stood by Babe and
encouraged it to endure the coming or
deal. DR.. L. Rosenwald took off his
coat, rolled up his sleeves and announced
that he was ready to relieve Babe of its
burden Babe ran its forked tongue in
and out, caressing Mrs. Harden's cheeks
and hands. Even the medical students
shuddered.
While DIR. Moore administered chloro-
form to Babe, DIR. Rosenwald drew rough
plans and specifications of Babe on the
blackboards, and, addressing the students
in technical language, explained that
similar operation had never been perform
ed on a snake before, and that he would
make an exploratory incison" through
the abdominal wall, the peritoneum and
the stomach of the reptile, provided it had
them, and recover the blanket if it was
there. The students craned their necks
and regarded the preparations with much
interest.
Babe had in the meantime responded
gracefully to the chloroform, and was in
sensible. An incision five inches long was
made in the belly of the snake and hardly
a drop of blood escaped. But the blanket
was there and was drawn forth without
trouble. 1t had been rolled into a cigar
shaped cylinder about two feet long and
was as hard as a brick. 1t was covered
with gastric juice, which was futilely en-
deavoring to do its work. The blanket
looked as though it had been compressed
by machinery.
1t had to be soaked in water before it
could be unfolded. The stomach of the
snake was as clean as whistle, and after
the blanket had been removed was as emp
ty as a drum Nine stitches were taken in
closing the wound. and the snake was TAX
en- out into the alley for fresh air. Il was
soon surrounded by students, small boys
and colored women. In about five minutes
it's lungs filled with air and its forked
tongue ran in and out, and Mrs. Harden.
who was anxiously watching it, gave a
sigh of relief.
"rm SO glad my Babe didn't die" she
exclaimed. 81 couldn't spare my baby. I'd
sooner have that snake around the house
than lots of men,"
The colored women shuddered, and one
exclaimed in a Mortified tone: ooh, my
Gawdr tu
DIR. Rosenwald said that the snake would
surely recover and prescribed diet of raw
eggs for 1t for two weeks, after which It
may eat anything except Canton flannel
blankets.
The owner of the boa constructor con-
ducts a restaurant near Fifth and Wyan-
dotte streets She got the reptile from a
snake charmer who could not pay a board
bill