New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-09
HE CURES FISH.
NOT IN THE OLD WAY. WITH SALT. BUT
WITH MODERN SURGICAL SKILL.

Horse doctors called veterinary surgeons,
but fish doctors are so new that they have not
set found time to invent for themselves a long,
imposing name. They are so very new. indeed,
that many persons not aware of their ex-
istence Many. however. who go in for fish cult
ure, and who keep aquariums. know of one or
more such specialists and call them in when
anything goes wrong with their finny,
cold blooded. silent pets.
The fish doctor. like the regular doctor. gives
medicine performs surgical operations and su-
perintends his patients diet and environment.
These the principal operations which he
performs: Trimming the fsh's tail with fish
shears when fungous growths enlarge it; strip
ping the fish. to remove the eggs milt that
have not been naturally deposited; excising with
the lance tumors. iacerated scales and spl.nters
\. bone
Among the medicines that the fish doctor
Klves are castor oil, for swelling of the swim
ming bladder, and nux vomca for debility and
emaciation. This specialist also presides over
the food Of the fish. inspects their food troughs
thoroughly and makes microscopic examina-
tions of their water 20 that it contains the
proper life giving elements in their due pro-
portions. Regarding these matters. which are
important TO healthy to sick fish, the lead
ing fish doctor Of Philadelphia recently said:
rust should be used for fish. At the same
time each day their oatmeal should be put in
this trough, which should always be kept in the
same place, and a consequence of this treat
ment the fish will gather around their trough at
meal time. which they will insuncuvely recog-
nize, greedily as hogs, burying their noses in
the food when it is set before them, and crowd
ing and pushing one another in healthy, raw
enous and hoglike manner The trough should
be cleaned once day lest it get sour But the
water of the fish should rarely be changed.
Even when it becomes foul smelling it should
only be changed gradually quart day, say
for to change it all at once has the effect of a
terrible exposure-is, indeed. the same as if you
should snatch a child from its warm bed and lay
it. naked, out of doors in the cold night wind
and snow"
1t is not the detention of fish from their native
element that makes fish surgery difficult, for
they can be kept out of the water for five, six
and seven minutes without the slightest harm
TO them. and there is TO operation that re
quires :, longer space of time; but what makes
1t difficult is the Discrimination of the flesh 20
heal after it ;as been cut A wound. TO heal
requires to be dry; nothing is more dcleteriouS
20 it than any sort Of moisture; and hence the
troubles Of a fish wound bathed and soaked
In water all the time. Inevitably, therefore
FISH operations are simple and slight.
One of them is the trimming Of tails en-
larged to unWieldiness by growths of fungus
In this work sharp shears. with blades oddly
Curved-fish shears-aTe employed The fish is
lifted from the water and held head down
ward while its tail is being trimmed. dex-
terou9 operator gets through the work in two
three minutes; there is flow of blood, and
no gaping wound that will not heal Hence
tell trimming is in nine cases out of ten sue