Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-09-06
HOSPITAL FOR BIRDS AND BEASTS
\ Place Where Sick Elephants and Lame
Canary Birds Receive Medical Atten-
BY EDYTH STEEL.


BY EDYTH STEEL.
People call it the Dogs hospital which
only shows that most of us take more in
terest In dogs than other animals; 1t IS
hospital under very swell auspices, in
charge Of the New York College of Vet
Urinary Surgeons and School of Compare
tive Medicine. the college is a branch OF
the University of New York, and they
treat any animal you please there that
is not a human being, from elephants TO
canary birds
The performing elephants that have
started at one of the variety theatres dur
ing the last year had TO be taken to the
hospital for a week last fall when they
first landed in the country for having
been so seasick on the voyage they were
quite done up; their treatment was sim
pie enough. for it consisted only OF
quart of gin apiece every day, but the
hospital could give them quarters better
suited to their invalid condition than they
could get anywhere else. on the other
hand. a canary bird recently had one leg
amputated there and went away hopping
quite comfortably on one foot. 1t seeems
a bird bears losing a leg better than most
animals.
INSIDE THE HOSPITAL.
The hospital and college occupy an en-
tire four story building at 15i East Fifty
seventh street, New York City. The en-
trance looks a good deal like that of a
livery stable, except that there is one
corner rallied off that looks like a phar
macy; there are kept the medicines likely
to be needed quickly in an emergency.
On the wall is long "ypewritten paper,
laying down the strictest laws about the
care of the surgical Instruments; no in
strument must be laid down on anything
but towels that have been antiseptically
treated if exposed for any length of time
through delay in the operation they must
all be again washed in antiseptic prepa-
rations. No hospital could be more care
ful in all these respects.
The doctor that took me around is es-
pecially attached dn every sense to the
horses. and he talked of every one Of his
patients Just a. though he were speaking
of a man and a brother; but he had one
net name for al the horses; he called
every one "Raby' as he talked to them.
Come. Baby. come-you're getting all
right. aren't you? Turn mere and speak
10 the lady" he would say, and he de-
clared his opinion TO be that two-thirds of
the horses i'm New York had more sense
than their drivers
IN THE HORSE AND DOG WARDS.
We hear a good deal about physicians
growing hardened particularly in hos
pital practice: but it was clear TO me that
these doctors Of animals get softened by
experience. Animals have something the
same power to touch those who really
get acquainted with them that children
have. and when you take care of sick
one you get acquainted with it in a very
advantageous way; it is apt to be so pa
tieut and SO intelligent.
"Whv." said the doctor, "the way
horses and dogs will bear pain because
they know you are doing something for
them makes most human patients look
unpratcfuI Horses are the best of all
about understanding that you want them
10 keep still. hut the way dogs will lick
your hand when you are hurting them
terribly is very touching. All that is
necessary is for them to believe you
mean 20 do them good, and they catch
that idea very quickly
The dogs ward is on the third floor;
in fact any small animal is treated there
unless it be a monkey or some such beast
from the tropics. requiring extra heat; in
that ease room in which one of the doc