The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-14
MISREPRESENTATION.
medical Instincts of Animals. Insects
and Fish.

- - ~ S0Si sdtioh. In dulmalS 1T is |
50 stroLgiy developed that N often
Stimulates medical knowledge or ner- |
maps In some instances is actuaiiv a |
SUBSTITUTE Tor 1t. An interesting article
on TINS subject is contributed to the
i DenVer Meoicai Times by Dr. James
WEI Oh oWensboro. Ky. DR.. Weir be-
gins py teillng us about the thera peuric
instincts of the honey bee. When at
tacked by diarrhoea Ca disease to winch
uhoei certain conditions it is very
prohe) the bee, he says, will immedi-
ately pegln to such astringent pieces
Oh the ooSWood, poplar, wild cherry or
hickory, ana viii soon effect a cure
Indeed, in winter, when bees become
sick with this disease, they viii realty
drlnk a decoction of wild cherry bars
IL 1t be placed in the hive Bees seem
TO know that filth Is a source OF dis
ease; hence, when III in winter they
select a spot, as far from the combs a
possible, at which ali of the sick mem
bers OF the hive deposit their dejecta
AS soon as warm weather arrives the
accumulated filth is removed and the
spot carefully cieansed. In summer ali
eXcrementitious matter is deposited
without the hive. About the comnoon.
craynsh Or. Weir notes the following
facts:
"Crayfish are frequently the hosts of
1 innumerable lite parasitic Ieechas
/ (histriobdellael which, strange to say.
only become parasites, and thus harm
ful 20 their hosts, when their number
I mas increased to such an extent thai
they can no longer live natural lives.
AS long as they are few in number they
are OF distinct benefit to their host, the
crayfish, for they eat the unimpregnat-
ed eggs and dead embryos, thus keeping
the other eggs and embryos in healthy
state. But as soon as their number
becomes 50 great that the decomposing
q M
f1cient food supply, the mutualists be
come parasiteS-they begin to deyour
the heartily eg?s and embryos. The
crayfish, which carries her eggs be
meath her tail, can tell att once when
this state OF ahairs exists, and will
straightway set in motion very effective
measures for freeing herself from her
harmful visitors
DIR. Weir believes that many of the
higher animals have discovered and use
a materia medica that is not recognized
by human physicians Thus, he says:
Dogs will seek out and devour the
long, Ianceolate blades of couch graSe
|. (trlticum repens) when they are con
stipated; horses and mules viii eat clay
When they have scours; cattle with tbs
scratches have been seen by me t.
plaster hoof anu joint with mud anc
then to stand still until the protecting
: and healing coating dried out and be
break the thin ice on pond and trea
ner itching joints to a mud pouitice
Several travellers and hunters OF bi;
r game declare that they have seen eie
plants in the act of plugging shot hole
with moistened clay! Cats viii go mile
when they are feeling under the wealth
err for d dose of catnip (nepeta). !
gentleman recently informed me thai
! short time ago, after severe snow
storm, he was hunting rabbits, whel
he saw his house cat blowing throug
2 the deep snow some distance in front @
. him. He thought at first that sh
q was out on the same business as him
self, /. G, rabbit-hunting, bat soon con
cluded that something of much create
Importance had impelied her to abando
: the warm kitchen on such cold aad in
G clement day. He resolved to follow hel
!. and this he 49,, for three miles, unit
she entered a neighbours garden, where
after scratching in the snow she 500
. uncovered bunch of catnip. This sh
:. at once proceeded to devour! Surely
q great and abiding faith in medicin
r must have dwelt in the bosom of TIL
r animal.
Q THE saliva of mammals, with til
g single exception of man, seems to hay
a distinct curative action. OF cours
much of the beneficial results followin
= the continual licking of wounds by an
n maS is due to the resulting -eanlines'
3 Yet, DeyOnO the mere Oh cledI
IS illness, there is an undoubtedly curatiN
a property in their saliva. Dogs, cat
>, cattle, rodents, monkeys, ct al, lie
= their wounds when they can get
d them, and soon effect cures.
= 1T sometimes happens that ANNA
contract wounds on their bodies whIC
l. they themselves can not get at; the
lie as / have frequently observed, son
~ good Samaritan in the shape Of a fe
II low doe, cat or monkey Will step in ar
= treat the wounds as though they We
: personal"
:" DIR. Weir tells us that the monkey,
l. a state of nature, when surrounded
rs an inexhaustible materia medica wi
g. which, as the author believes, it Is Il
r. diligently acquainted, very often trea
IN with success the various ills to whi'
- it is subject. Even in captivity, VIII
=, handicapped by it's surroundings. 1t
LII able TO combat certain diseases intel
IS, gently or successfully to treat an i
he jury. DR.. Weir closes with the follo'
of ing anecdote, which is one of many tn
of confirm his belief in this respect:
al. I'm 1882 there was on exhibition at t
no ST. Louis fair grounds a magnince
~ specimen of the dog-faced ape, or cna
=, ma. This amman was very large a.
Gu powerful and at all times treacheroi
deceitful, and possessed Of the devil,
his keeper often declared. HIS NAL
nant disposition caused him to be CO
is fined in a strong cage and separat
&c ! frern the other monkeys. There was
- strong board partition between his ca
ny and that of a number of smaller mo
no keys of various genera and speci
he which dwelt together in amity
ed peacefulness-a happy family
.er The chacma discovered small era
ng in the board partition, and by dihge
a use of his, sharp teeth and poweri
- fingers, had enlarged 1t until he COT
'e- thrust his hand through. After he
severely injured one of the SINAI
- monkeys, which he had caught by da
ing one of his paws through this ope
ing. the attendant stopped the hole
mailing a piece of board over 1t on
small monkeys side of the partition.
"One of the nails came entlr'
through the boards and protruded
eighth of an inch into the chacm
cage One day, while this last me
toned creature was dashing about
den in one of his unaccountaole nts
rage, he ran against this nali a
scratched his shoulder. He stopped
once and began to examine the o.
with his fingers He then went TO
| corner of the cage where there was
| hov re claan aawduSt and. Se1Zlng