Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-01-22

wealthy Eastern Family Refused to lot
Injured Animal Be Shot

Of the Merritt family, oil Mllton filiis,
just outside of Boston, and Nat real
lily hasn't got his cork leg yet. For
a month past Nat has been stumplng
about on a temporary artificial
leg Whitfield out Of piece Of soft
pine.
But in a few days, says the New
York Herald, this courageous little
animal is tD be taken to Lowell, Mass,
where the Andrews factory for MAX
ing artificial feet and legs for the
government is situated. There cast
Of his uninjured left fore foot, the
mate Of the lost one, will be made.
From the cast an artificial cork leg
will be made.
DR. John A. O'Connell, the veter-
marian of the Bowdoin kennels.
Dorchester, who directed the ampu-
tation Of Mats leg, thinks the cork
leg will cost in the neighborhood of
$50, but that is bagatelle to his owns
ers Much will depend upon the sue
cess Of the first attempt at casting a
live dogs leg. Several attempts may
be necessary before perfect model
is secured.
Nat, who is not quite a year old,
came to grief on last Fourth Of July,
when he tried to spring from a porch
in the rear Of the Merritt mansion,
in Blue Hill avenue, Milton Hills,
an aristocratic suburb Of Boston, and
fell IA feet When the little animal
was picked up it was apparent he was
suffering great pain Two local vet
erinarians were promptly summoned
Upon examination it was found
that Nat had fractured his right fore
leg at the third index. For two days
all sorts Of treatment we're tried in
vain. Then the doctors said Mats
case was hopeless and recommended
that he be shot.
The Merritt family are wealthy.
They have a beautiful home, their
fancy cattle Craze on their rolling
acres, and all sorts of luxuries sur
round them, but next to the two
Merritt youngsters the greatest store
is set by Nat. Mr.. Merritt, a prom
inent dye importer of Boston, is trav-
cling in India. He valued the dog at
5000 when he gave him to Mrs. Mer-
rift a few months ago.
'Nat must not die while Mr.. Mer-
rift is away said Mrs. Merritt. inn
periously, ignoring the dictum Of the
wise physicians, as ofttimes a woman
will.
After further consultation it was
decided to take the dog to the Bow
dom kennels and see if the yeterin-
arians there could do anything for
Nat. DR.. O'Connell, the expert, who
has ofliciated at most Of the big dog
shows, recently made a thorough ex-
animation of the fractured member,
while Mrs Merritt pleaded earnestly
for him to hold ont some prospect Of
hope
Dr. O'Connell was not sanguine.
He found what-would correspond to
a break III a boys arm at the elbow. 4
The fracture was a bad one. The
fore leg was swollen to twice its nat
ural size. Gangrene had set in.
cit looked hopeless" said DR..
O'Connell, in discussing the case
few days ago, "but what can a man
do when a woman is in tears and chill
dren look up at him with piteous APP
peals? / said I'd try to amputate the
fore paw, but could not at that late
day guarantee a successful issue Of
the experiment. ] was without prop
er assistance or any sort Of tempo
rary artificial leg for Nat, but we
went to work.
~After the amputation the dogs
leg was sprayed with cocaine daily for
three days, while we scraped the bone
and treated the skin flap around it.
After the treatment Nat would lie al
most comatose, though we reused him
and fed him at regular intervals.
After awhile he rallied a little, and
when granulation set in and the
wound was not too sensitive a rude
wooden leg was fitted to Mats stump.
With girth arotnd his stomach,
collar around hls legand a harness 10
keep the woodAa place, we turned
Nat loose
AT first he refusedto move. When
he found he could not get rid Of The
innovation he bravely put up with it