The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-29
PHYSICIAN TO THE BIRDS.
4 METROPOLITAN HOSPITAL WHERE
FEATHRRED CREATURES ARE TREATED

Are Subject and the Method OF Treat
ment Em~ployed-Grip Prevalent Amonr
the sonEsters-How the Birds Get Sick
Just over tho locksmith's and In the rear OIL
the old book store In Seventh street IL n curious
little hospital. 1t is altogether different from
metropolitan Institutions for the amendment
OF human ailments or the restoration OF indls.
posed four-footed creatures. II IL q hospital
for birds. household pets which have sue.
cumbed to the evils OF ~gluttony and have con-
tracted a sort Of bird govt. as It were. or are at-
flioted with one or more Of the several diseases
to which birds in captivity are liable.
In scrupulously clean cages piled IN tiers
against one wall OF the room tfor the hospital
limits are thus abrideed) perch or nestle the
patients-canaries. bobolinks. mockinRbirds
goldfnches. bull1nches. chaflnohes. parrots.
robins; some dropping and hlmy-eyed with
pain; others e~vincing a "chipper" aspect OF
oonvalescence. Ono ragged gray parrot in q
bottom cage squats In a cotton bed chewing
the breast feather Of reflection. and e~jaculat-
ing a hoarse. self-commiseratinR Poor Pollyl'
Mono OF the song birds exercises its talents
Once in q while a plaintive Peep" comes from
a duerulous little canary. or u fellow sufferer
which is beginning to take notice advertises
its progress toward recovery by a feeble
"tweet-tweetl" There is u decided note OF
inquiry in the latter call. as II the patient were
demanding to know how long its illness is to
continue. and were taking the faculty to task
for its hardness In e~fecting q cure.
against the opposite wall are rows Of shelves.
on which in orderly array are grouped polished.
labelled cannisters. like those In the tea mer-
chants shop some doors above. which con-
tain bird daintles end healing drugs. A small
case beneath the hospitals solitary window Is
crammed with books which describe the nature
and ills OF birds. This evidence Of technical
knowledge gives O dignity and professional
aspect to the place which cannot fail to favor
ably impress the visitor.
In the centre Of the hospital. comfortably
esconced In a creeking old Morris chair with
faded cushions. sits the faculty In those hours
devoted to consultation. He the faculty. is q
short man OF extraordinary girth and ~extraor-
dinarily thin legs. His headis bald, except for
a thin fringe OF hair lurking behind his ample
ears and the rear foundation OF his temple Of
thought like a stunted hirsute hedge. but his
features. which are cast in q large mould. are
expressive Of much good humor. and he has a
husky chuckle which is good TO hear. Like
most scientific mon he sports a title. On his
professional cards appear. boldly underscored.
the words:
"PHYsICIAN TO THE Birds
THAT is q title 1 took only after mature de-
liberation. " he explains to the visitor who has
wandered in to take q look at the hospital. AT
first l did not relish it at all. for every man who
does your corns or tints your nails calls himself
Doctor while the fellow who polishes your
shoes is a professor But as I have studied
birds scientifically for years 1 concluded when
l established the hospital that 1 was really
justified in taking the title OF physician to the
birds without being placed In the same cate
CORY with chiropodists and bootblaeks. Ger
tainly / fthe veterinarians feel it no incongruity
for than 10 mamma fha tit1a and dignity NJ
doctor l may be permitted to call myself q
bird physician without offending professional
propriety."
How do you obtain patients for the hos
pital p asks the visitor. having assured the
bird doctor that he Is entirely right in his
argument.
"Oh. in various ways" says he. "Of course
there would not sufficient business accrue
from the slight advertisement the hospitals
sign affords to keep me alive. 80 l, advertise in
the newspapers every once in q while. besides
demestAlca tsi't biryds So WI When W." / hr ane opened ieGtedds the he
hospital and went around to see the dealers
themselves and did not care to direct
I0ei Also 'r msRe 70 %Fse SffSrnoE vis hssio to P p4fva e
houses to. treat bird patients they gradually
s msnd that I m s@9 oTn do oa them S9 99 Je S9S %|t Rby them EEsGnm n
Spy" cards DIS in H'T Their RE- essa5lfshnen tST and nG'f rec SsHc
LI'iiA ~ ~ pNSpAS ,"hOpS p'SD - b' 1.Oh
S2Hf called afif n 3o srsat a a. BIRD I'd at R0 its Ro% %a{ DO no not
owners OF the afflicted petto deal with So-and-
So, Thus keen him ~ a good humor and he
ALTHOUGH visiting private patients contrib
ptes much TO e; ny income st!lI ! prefer to have
t doetor' n9 Using M ' pond deT5tnsi; from rom't the chair 1niH p and
opening q dou bic cage in which three or four
detected c%anartes are, cuddled down in soft
warm nests. | spend several hours each day
and the characterlstics oftheir diseases. and as
qucntly here at night. should one or more OF
them need constant attention,
Of the sufferers from its bed and stroEiSSg its
rufied feathers. an attention eyidently much
With the Grip-yes. plain, miserable. ,undeni-
able g%rip-and they manifest its SYMPHONIC for
ALP the sy wSr Rra like c h1@G tRs eG bnnsn see @pt hSw a t4Y!%S
more eloquent testimony Of the dread afiic-
ton? b Besides les; If I YY y y viii Place sase H Your ear . to tniss
lively ind lfrerent the patient is TO handling. 1t
nest. as Indifferent to possible peril as a trav-
eller In the thross Of seasiekness: That is GER
you will appreciate II you have ever suffered
It's torments and ravnnges' Ihis bird has ceased
wants to die. as most persons and animals with
fhls winter I have It treated, no less than
bird doctor. restoring the motionless sufferer
to its bed and passing on to the gray parrot,
which is pitying itself at the rate OF a Poor
Polly :. every half minute. but this Is the first
parrot I have had to wrest from grips tenacious
grasp. am sure to have more success with II
than ! have had with the little birds. although
out OF half a hundred | lost less than six. be-
cause it's internal mechanism Ia not so delicate
as that OF the ~canaries, tnches. robins and other
small minstrelR. and because a parrot. being u
famous imitator Of man. communicates the
symptoms Of its ailments almost as in
In particular acts, Just like, a nervous.
fussy man would under similar circumstances.
1t is irritable to a degree. and demands con-
slant attention. It wants sympathy more than
1t does drugs, and when sympathy Is not as i'm
mcdiatcIy forthcoming as 1t desires Il raises
a rumpus. II pity did not. overcome the risi-
blcs one could scarcely refrain from laughing
at the Bool biTd's actions; Just now II Is quiet
and will huddle down in its bed moaning and
repeating It's exclamation OF se~lf-comm1sera-
ton for az, hour or two. PARROTS may not APP
utter, but they do undoubtedly, under
stand the sentiments conveyed in the COM
binations Of words they are taught to repeat.
As, for Instance. this one in the moments OF It's
utter dependency snys. Poor Polly" over and
over npaln. II knows that ia an eXDreSglOn OF |