The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-24
A Country Doctors Idea



vice between his patients and himself
There Is nothing In mater1a medica to be
sure, which suggests this method Of prac-
tice, but It is such a novelty In its way
and 1t proves so successful, that once
generally known it is bound to prove pop
uiar.
Every man who is physician and has
practice that takes him about in the
country districts to any great extent,
knows how hard 1t is to keep himself
thoroughly posted as to the condition of
his far away patients. The city physi-
clans clientele as a rule is more compact
iy located, there not being the opportu-
nifty for him to practice ia so large a ter
ritory as his country brother. Now the
country physician practices over an i'm
mense extent Of territory, infinitely great
er than nine out of 10 of even his own
patients think. He is quite likely to have
two patients critically i'll, each patient
between IL miles apart and each living
a like distance from the doctors own
home. Easily it will be seen that paying
daily calls and keeping posted with sick
persons scattered about like that becomes
almost an impossibility.
These conditions confronted Dr.. Lang
for many long year, and he cudgeled
his brain to some purpose in finding a
way to help himself and at the same time
prove benefit to his patients. The hom-
ing pigeon solved the problem. In other
words, the doctor Is the producer, the
pigeon is the middle man and the patient
the consumer-of medicine. In this par
ticular instance, however, the M idle man
benefits both producer and Consumer, a
state of affairs as singular as DR.. Lang's
project.
The doctor has found time to keep up
on medical topics, take good care of his
patients and cultivate pigeons, all three
successfully. 1t Is the success, or rather
the combination Of success, that has
made life easier for him, more tranquil
for his patients and a source of amuse-
ment and interest to every stranger who
hears what is going on. The doctor says
his plan is a thorough success and he
recommends brother practitioners to try
1t.
There is nothing difficult about 1t at
all. The method of procedure is this: In
the first place. the doctor keeps in mind
constantly the patients whose condition
he is anxious to be thoroughly posted
upon. Then he sends to each Of these
one or more of the carrier pigeons, ac-
cording to the severity of the case and
the necessity of frequent communication.
The nurse, or some member of the family
of the person who Is i'll, has blanks which
the doctor has left and these must be
filled in with a detailed record of time,
pulse, temperature, and respiration. A
blank filed, 1t is enclosed in an aluminium
capsule made to clasp on the leg. This
done, the bird Is released and at once
speeds away to the home of the waiting
physician. at the rate of a mile a minute.
In this connection 1t is we'll to remember
that while to the uninitiated the words
carrier pigeon" include all pigeons that
carry messages, in reality they do not
mean that. The homing pigeon is the
carrier pigeon trained to actual, solid,
hard work
When the pigeon of the medico reaches
mr. he
flies to the loft which has been prepared
especially for him and his comrades. In
order to gain this loft, however, he must
pass through what are called boiling
wires. These open inward into an en-
closure about two feet square. Here the
prisoner is held until the doctor or some
one designated to perform the service, re-
moves the message. The pigeon then is
free and flies into the loft.
In this way, Dr. Lang is enabled to
keep thoroughly in touch with his pa
TENTS at a distance with about one-fifth
the amount of travel he would have to
endure under other circumstances. Not
only that but he is really much better
posted, because 1t would often happen
that he would altogether be unable to
pay visits to all the patients he should
and so, perhaps, miss seeing a sick per-
son at just the time when he most needed
TO near from him at least. Under the sys-
tenn he has devised, he can go away from
home to visit patients and feel sure that
when he returns reports will be awaiting
him from others. Should these reports
tell him that call from him is an alb
solute necessity, why then he goes and
that is all there is of 1t.
On the contrary, however, he frequently
learns from these reports by pigeons that
visit from him on a certain day to the
patient would have been wholly unneces-
sary and have simply wasted his time
Thereby, the doctor has saved the time
and trouble of a long and tedious Jour
ney and at the same time knows just how
the person is whom he would have gone
to see If 1t had not been for his pigeons
The doctor says too, that more than once
the life of a patient has been saved by a
sudden communication to him via pigeon
post.
The homing pigeons belonging to Dr.
Lang are of a composite breed, being
descended from several branches of the
homer-the 'NCumulet," a pearl eyed pig
con OF the tumbler species which is in
clined to fly both high and long; the
'Smerl," round headed and small and
rather resembling an owl pigeon, its flight
being or the swiftest; that ancestor of
the present day Belgian homer, the
Dragon" which is as strong as a
French peasant and as steady going in its
flight as an old family horse. The Ques-
ton of color is largely debated by the
uOclor pigeons, Tor they are blue, blue
eheekered and red checkered. The doc
tor prefers these colors because he thinks
the solid white white or black are con-
spieuous marks for the enemy of all pig
cons, the hawk, and that purveyor of
pigeon pie, the shot gun.
In speaking of his plan and the effects
thereof, the pigeons and their habits, the
doctor says:
Many different names have been APP
piled to the pigeons, but the one here
used the homing, is more favored as 1t is
better indicative of the effort the bird
makes. Could the pigeon sing his favor
lite song would be Home, Sweet Home,
for that is the idea in his tiny head, from
the moment Of his release bearing mes
sage, to the point of debarkaion.
1t Is best, when establishing a loft of
these feathered messengers, to begin with
few pairs Of breeders which should be
Kept confined to the loft, with an outside
covered aviary If possible to give them
access to the ground. The pigeons, II al
lowed their liberty, are apt to fly away,
no matter how long they have been in
prison. Do not try to train the birds until
they are four months old. Then take
them mile or two from home in differ
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