The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18

DOGS AS LIONS FOOD.
Chicago Authorities Refuse to Save
From the Ricketts,

WITHIN the last ten years twenty-seven
African lions have died in the Lincoln park
zoo. representing a loss Of more than &c.,
coo. Keepers diagnosed the trouble as
paralysis, and disposed of the bodies in va
r.ous ways. Within a year Chicago phy-
sicians have become interested and have
pronounced the case TO be ricketts,
Finding the cause, the physicians have
prescribed the remedy. The remedy is a
dietary OF yellow dogs from the pound. but
President John g. Shortall Of the Humane
Society. is opposed TO the live-dog diet. As
a result Nero. 4 handsome young African
lion, years old. lies crouched on the floor
OF his cage in the animal house, unable
TO stand on his swollen legs. and a dozen
other members Of the cat tribe are IN dan
ger Of the same disease.
In the course of a year in Chicago dogs
by the thousand are sathered into the
pound where they yelp and whine and
fight and bite until they are crowded finally
into the smotherng kiln, where the fumes
Of sulphur choke out the last spark of life
in an agony OF sufpcation. In lincoln
park several thousand dollars worth Of
menagerie material goes to waste because
President Shortall declares that chuck
beef n $4l0 a hundred pounds Is more
humane.
give 'em the dogs" says DR.. G.. Frank
Butler, sententiousiy, "and the ricketts, will
disappear, while the dogs will die an easier
death. The blow of a lions paw Is hui
name as compared to sulphur fumes. Give
'em the dogs. and declare a dividend on a
public nuisance"
Years and years ago old women IN coun-
try districts knew OF ''rickets." They
spotted them IN a child hundred yards
away. He's got a rickety for'ead." they
said, noting the bullying frontal bones and
CHANGING down TO the accompanying bow
legs for confirmation, That the lover or
ders had them however, was not known
until recently.
According 10 the medical men 7.1tets
may affect any animal In it's immaturtty
They say It ia a softening OF the boae,
caused by lack OF the lime element IN nu-
triton. or because OF deficiency In the or
gans Of assimilation. II the Lincoln park
lions the sof;ened bones OF the foreiegs
curve downward and become rigid. while
the hind legs assume the st!ffened shape
OF the letter So Initiated ar ana lack OF
sunshine are the allies Of improper food In
producing ricketts,. Left to its final course
the disease paralyzes almost every organ
in the body.
Chuck" beef has been the diet OF Lin
coin parks big cats. II Is the forequarter
portion Of good beef carcasses, stripped az
all fats and necessarily drained OF blood
II is the diet adopted BY every monarerie
In the country, but the physician Of today
contends that no fesh-ea,ing animal can
live on II in the fun enjoyment OF its nat
ural faculties.
Nero. the 2-year-old lion which now les
helpless in the animal house. has been on
regulation diet since he quit his mothers
milk. lie has eaten chuck" beef AZ
o'clock every afternoon. Sundays excepted
Mondays he has taken physic Of pow
dered Rica nut; ON Thursdays he has taken
a milk beverage strongly impregnated with
sulphur Somewhere else IN the week he
has had compounded dose OF cod-iiver oil.
Yesterday, too. he gnawed hungriiy at an
elaht-pouna chunk Of brisket "doped" with
several spoonfuls OF bonemeal. But he has
the rickets-bsd, they say a. thel park.
while the doctors down town say that he
never will be any better. And Il IS worry
ing 10 Head Keeper Cy De Ery. who sees
$40 or more slowly going up the spout.
The mountain lions. even more than the
hlack-maned fellows from Africa. have SUI
fsred from the disease. The bears seldom
have 1t, for the reason tina. they eat n
great many fish. FED TO them whole.
There may be trouble before DR. But
iers advice ia taken by the Lincoln park
board. Keeper De vry has some speci-
mems OF snakes which VIII eat only Tive
food Mr. shortan has forbidden that they
lee teS rats. mice rabbits and Ike smah
animals stul, those reptiles are fat ard
lazy. De vry says TIA, he isn't supposed
to know what goes on In the snakes den
after dark.
But dogs 4. The suggestion De WY
raises both shoulders in concert He is
feeding his ful-grown Lions twenty pounds
OF beef once a day lie doesn't know hew
a thirty, forty or fifty pound dog can he
distributed economically. Certainly no two
" me licns would share such carcass
amicabIy. The doctors say 20 give the Hons
ore apiece Let them gorge and s.eep: then
let them hunger until their TestIessnezs
forces them % TIE exercise tss- they 50
much need. Bg. give them blood
Bl0od. according 10 President Shortau IN
hrufalizinx unless {; he drained or AZ the
stockYards for button ma teTlsi and fer
;iixeT.
r!ckety lonS have De Try Up a vary tan
tree 'h.cago Record.