The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-06-15
PIGEON PRACTICE.
HOW A COUNTRY DoCrop cou
MoNiCATEs WITH PATIENTS
through Winged Messenger tho PIN.
ci"h has Quick News From
the Most Distant of
His Sick.
\ r. CHARLES r, 1.,No

! - pace for all other pract;t;o,
s. ers by establishing n carr;o
pigeon service between his pat;en,
anu himself. There is nothing in ma
leria medica, to be sure, which sno
Sests this method of practice. lint IL
'uch novelty in its way and IL nrora
SO successful, that once oenaro,i,
known 1T is bound to prove very 49,
lar. iy PoPu
Every man who is n physician an,
JUS practice that takes him about II
inc country districts to any great ex
cent knows how hard it is to keen him
sen thoroughly posted as to the CON.
"ia ~, OF MS FAR away patients.
Inc city physicians clientele no q
Iu,o Is more compactly located. tbcro
not Delng the opportunity for him -
practice IN SO large territory no b;S
country brother. Now tho conntrn
physician practices over an immenso
extent OF territory, infinitely grootor
IMAM nine out of ten of even bia ou,,,
Pu'lentS think. He is quite likely to
n"so TWO patients critically ill. eocb
patent between twelve miles apart and
each living like distance from tba
doctor 5 own home. Easily it will bo
seen that paying daily calls and keen.
ing posted with sick persons scotIoraa
about like that becomes almost an -,
possibility.
These conditions confronted DIR
hhnS Tor many long year. and no
cuugeled his brain to some purpose in
nnding way to help himself and nt
same time prove benefit to his
uoo'Ss; The homing pigeon solved
c con mot IN other w -3fhr THIS par nt
ticular instance, however,, the middle
man benefits both producer and con
sumer, state Of affairs as singular as
DIR. Lang's project.
There is nothing difficult about ii al
all. The method of procedure is this
In the first place, the doctor keeps in
mind constantly the patients whose
conditions he is very anxious to bt
thoroughly posted upon. Then h,
sends to each OF these one or more o
the carrier pigeons, according to thu
severity Of the case and the necessity
of frequent communication. The
muse, or some member of the family
of the person who is i'll, has blanks
which the doctor has left and thes,
must be filed in with detailed
record of time, pulse, temperatur,
and respiration. A blank filed, it i
inclosed in an aluminium capsule mad
to clasp on the leg. This done, tn
bird is released and at once speed
away 10 the home of the waiting ply
stefan, ut the rate of mile n minute
In this connection 1T is we'll to remem
Der that while to tho uninitiated tn
words carrier pigeon" include al
pigeons that carry messages, in realIt
they do not moan that. The homin
pigeon Is the carrier pigeon trained t
actual, solid, hard work.
When the pigeon OF the medic
reaches his destination, DR.. Lang
residence, he flies to the loft whic
has been prepared for him and hi
comrades. In order to gain this loft
however, he must pass through wha
are called boiling wires. These ope
inward into an enclosure about tw
feet square. Here the prisoner IS hel
until the doctor or some one desll
mated to perform the service remove
the message. The pigeon then is fire
and flies into the loft.
, In this way DIR. Lang is enabled t
, keep thoroughly in touch with his pt
, tients at distance with about on,
fifth the amount of travel he woul
have to endure under other circuu
stances. Not only that but he is reall
, much better posted, because it woul
, often happen that he would altogethC
be unable to pay visits TO all the p
, tients nc should, and go, perhaps, mii
, seeing a sick person just at the tin
= when he most needed to hear fro
/ him, at least Under the system |
= has devised, he can go away from hon
l TO visit patients and feel sure thl
/ when he returns reports will be avail
Z ing him for others. Should these T
ports tell him that n call from him
O nm absolute necessity, why then
goes, and that IS oil there is Of it.
. On the contrary, however, he vel
- frequently learns from these repor
by pigeons that visit from him on
IL. certain day 90 tho patient would ha'
been wholly unnecessary and have sir
B.. ply wasted his time. Thereby, q
r doctor has saved the time and troub
=, OF long and tedious journey aud
t. the same time knows just how the pc
,. son is whom he would have gone to s
il it had not been for his pigeons. i
- doctor says too, that moro than on
II the life OF q patient has been saved
sudden communication TO him '
- pigeon post. New York Press.