The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-04-02

'All well-bred birds" observed the
doctor; every one of 'em aristocrats,
There are about five hundred birds in
the hospital now. Each bird has his
| own cage, regular meals and regular
physic The patients under treatment,
all told, represent about four hundred
pounds. Fifty of their number will go
out cured this week, but fresh ones
flock in every day. They mostly belong
| to well-to-do people, and they have to
pay stiff prices If they want them to be
well cared for. Two pounds is the
price for amputating a birds leg; a
sore throat can be cured for 5s,; indi-
Sestion will run you into Is. Cd, while
an attack of influenza means Ell, if
slight, or G3 if dangerous, as the pa
tient requires a lot of attendance.
Such little items as chilblains, neural
gia, biliousness or a touch of lumbago
cost from rs. to half guinea.
1.-THE majority of my patients are
parrots. Parrots are subject to all
diseases, but are the hardest of birds,
nevertheless. l receive good sprink-
! ling of canarieS about the spring of the
year. suffering from cold during the
damp weather. A very hot summer
too, brings a good batch of sunStrolle
patients. Thoughtless people leave
their birds hanging in the full glare of
a broiling sun, and they become over
powered by the heat, just as human be-
ings do.
Here's a list of every bird in the
hospital, with it's complaint, date Of en-
try and fee charged. The highest fee
runs to about ten guineas. This ones
a tenner.'" He pointed to a healthy
looking canary. THAT bird was
brought here nearly dead with inflam-
nation of the lungs. His stay has last
ed eight weeks already. A cure has
been effected by heating the cage to
nearly one hundred degrees and sup
plying moisture by miniature bronchitis
kettles. Warm bread and milk, with
constant attendance night and day,
have pulled him through. Yes, it's an
expensive job physicl1ing birds. Their
owners are particular too. What do
you say to wiring the state of a birds
health every morning, Ell? That's
what often do"
"That's a curious patient"
A surly looking parrot, as bare as a
new-laid egg, save for few feathers
| III Ills tetllb SNudllSl lIlOOully pCIolC 10.
Looks comical, doesn't he? Where
are his feathers? Eaten up! He's pol
ished off every one of those on his
body and was just starting on feath-
er bolster when he was brought here"
Eat feathers!" I exclaimed, aston
ished.
Eat them" chuckled the doctor;
yes, and fat enough he was, too! It's
a common thing among parrots. If
he's kept in a room to himself, with a
bundle of wood to play with, he'll soon
have another coat. Two gutneas that
new suit'll cost the owner.
Most of these birds are i'll simply
because their owners are ignorant of
the proper manner Of feeding and at
tending to them. No man should keep
a bird unless he thoroughly under
stands how to look after it. That bull
finch is suffering from rheumatism
through being kept in a damp cage. A
good rundown with turpentine every
day will set him right. Those two lin
nets in bandages have broken legs from
a heavy fall. Very fine splints are
used in this case, the legs being bound
up with silken bandages. Very deli
cate work it is, and needs great skill to
do it successfully. I have an assistant
who is very clever at delicate frac-
lures"
Another patient arrested by atten-
ton at that moment. This bird was
bobbing UP and down in the most gro
tesque fashion
"St. Vitus' dance" said the birds
friend. TITS magpie, too-rather a
| i,,t wi ,aoriaG Hot
rolls and milk, with plenty of castor
OIL will soon stop his Waiting. Come
through here; this is the 'moulting'
room. Nice and warm, you see; birds
want to be kept warm when they're
moulting. Sometimes in August
that's the moulting season. collect q
baskelful of feathers a day. The pa
tients are getting feathered now, and
are, consequently, very ravenous. Big
fires are always kept going in this
ward, and every crack is covered up tc
guard against draughts. Very small
doses of physic are necessary fol
moulting birds.
81 visit my patients every morning
my two attendants administer the
physlc or bandage the affected part, as
the case may require One hundred
pounds the medicine bill runs to; an
other one hundred pounds is expended
on food; thirty pounds on fuel, and two
attendants at one hundred pounds {
year amounts to four hundred ant
thirty pounds annually. I clear abou
three hundred and fifty pounds q yea
after that.
Queer patients? Oh. yes I have
some very funny cases at times. l was
astonished one morning at seeing {
lady walk up to the front door, fol
lowed by two footmen carrying a huge
hairy bundle in their arms. Thi'
proved to be a tame ostrich with {
sprained ankle. I cured him after ;
couple of weeks.
"a pet dove, Matched with one lei
: shorter than the other, was one
) brought to me. 1t belonged to a noble
man in Park Lane, who begged me t.
{ try and make walking easier for tn
bird. I had a lot of trouble with it
but I managed the job all right. H
gets about pretty briskly now on cluI
| foot. During the last severe winter
had young blackbird with both fee
frostbitten through being left hangini
outside window one very frosty night
I fancy you'd have smiled at seeing
L. L, l.