The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-03-13

!" HERE is a new fad coming to
the front in "sick circles" or
rather It Is an old fad in new
dress. and that is the laying on
or use of animals to cure hu-
man ailments. To such proportions mas
1T grown in France that the ingenious
French have invented name Tor 1t
Zootherapie-and have started zoother-
apie sanitariums. Now there are pro-
fessors in zoo 1erapie, Instructors In
zootherapie and any number OF kindly
disposed men and women who Will give
you advice in zootherapie or tell you
the experiences of themselves or their
families in trying zootherapie-
The fad has spread through Europe,
has rippled across America and has
reached this city, though here 1t is
not practiced as yet in all its full
blooded variety asst is across thew water.
AS yet the laying on of freshly killed
doves and the smaller animals is as far
as the local follower of zootherapie
goes, but in Europe the sick encase
themselves in the bodies Of fresh killed
beeVeS.
Fresh killed doves laid on the head
for the cure of nervous diseases IS the
most popular form Of zootheraple as
yet that has reached here. Mrs Eugene
LIE Fere, wife of the Well-knoWn tam
ner, has tried it. She said: 1T is true
the French have faith in the healing
power of a freshly killed dove. We
tried on my own little baby VINO oled
a few months ago. We had the very
best doctors in the city and when tney
said they could do nothing more Tor the
child 1 was frantic with grief. some
one suggested the dove. / immediately
tried it, You know at a time like that
you snatch at the slightest nope IL
did not help my baby. but then she was
past help befor we tried 1t.
II remember when was little girl
/ had a fever and they put the dove
cap, as. I called it. on me. | don't re
member whether 1 was sick long after
the application.
ST know of a great many French
families here who put on the freshiy
killed dove when their children have Il
fever and almost always it draws II
out. You can safely say that the Gus
tom of using a dove is general among
the French people"
In Paris the most popular zoothera-
pie sanitarium is frequented by all
sorts and conditions of people with dis
eases ranging from "housemaids' knee
to "mumps" The doctor does not
claim to be able to set a broken leg by
placing a patient in contact with an
animal who has four sound ones, nor
ium who is in need of a surgical opera
ton. But for all nervous diseases, hu-
mors of the blood, feverS and the like,
he asserts that his live remedies are
far more efficient than those prescribed
by the regular Oldtime practitioners.
Weak and nervous patients are given
blood baths, the beneficial results of
which are said to eclipse electric, Turk
ish, Russian or any other kind of bath.
An abattoir is a necessary adjunct to
the sanitarium, for the bath tub is not
the usual porcelain one, but the patient
is put into a freshly killed calf, and the
hide is quickly sewed up, so as not
to allow the heat of the blood and en-
trails to escape. Just enough air is
permitted to enter the interior of the
animal to allow the patient to breathe
with ease. After remaining variable
length of time in this unique bath, ac-
cording to the state of health of each
individual, the patient is taken out and
plunged into a hot water bath.
Sometimes but one such bath is con-
sidered necessary to restore the weak