New-York tribune., 1902-08-06
MISS LUCY HAD BAD THROAT.
OBJECTED AT FIRST TO SWALLOWING
NINE FOOT TUBE.

Imagine a sore throat nine feet long. and every
inch of 1t stiff and infamed. This is what Miss
Lucy has been going through, though she is now
convaescent Miss Lucy is still in her teens. and
graceful creature ever drew the breath
OF life. She is the giraffe in the big zoo at Glen
Island. and has just passed through an experience
that, fortunately. does not fan to the lot OF many
of her kind. How Lucy caught cold has not been
determined by her physician Head Keeper Frank
Healey, who attended her. for she is modest and
retiring and preferred TO suffer in silence
rather than to attract attention to her condition
Before her physician and keepers realized that
anything had happened to her she was suffering
from a severe cold of the influenza type, compii-
Gated with throat Water flowed protusely
from her big beautiful brown eyes and her pretty
nose Her vocal cords and every other part of the
throat could be felt swollen and hard under the
skin
Added to her trouble was a thoroughly developed
and most excrucating cough which seemed almost
eternal in its sIowness probably owing to its nav
ing such long distance to travel-nine long feet
and every inch of it sore and nfiamed- When her
condition was discovered Mr.. Healey decided that
something would speedily have to be done. ana
as temporary relief mild spray of pint Oh
cocaine was administered This seemed TO give
great relief the poor creature. and she appeared
grateful and gave herself up to the treatment with
the docility of a good child. She shed less tears
after this and showed less signs of extreme pain
1t was necessary however, TO protect the throat,
and bolt of dry flannel was procured. Men
percbed on ladders wound the flannel carefully
around the throat until the entire nine feet was
completely covered. There were over thirty yards
used, and when the work was completed Lucy hao
so changed in appearance that her own mother
would not have known her Then dressing gown
of flannel was constructed cover the rest OF
her person. It fitted her form tightly and added
to the extreme grotesqueness OF her appearance
The work Of spraying the interior Of the long
throat was difficult An atomizer the bowl or
which was made Of gallon demijohn. was put
together. Ia its general line Of construction II
very similar 70 those used by human beings
The bulb which had been made to order, was
larger than regular sized football There was
rubber tube nine feet long, and this was thrust
down the poor creatures throat Every inch or
of the nine feet perforated. and when the
large bulb squeezed the liquid was forced
through the perforations thus reaching the seat
of the trouble The liquid was peroxide OF hydro
gen. and II took several hours TO administer the
first treatment. The giraffe rebeed against the
rubber tube being run down her throat and bit
off foot or two of it a. the first attempt The
difficulty of this treat tment we'll be imagined
when one considers that the administering il
were perched ladders from twelve to sixteen
| feet from the ground. After the first treatment
| had been successfully accomplished the suffering
creature quickly convinced that 1t was for her
| own good and acted amably a well behaved
| giraffe should.
The spray administered regularly once an
| hour. and the same time the patient was put
| on a special diet. This comprised warm bran
/
| She particularly fond Of the latter. and ap-
| parently could get sufficient satisfy her 1t
| was squeezed into her mouth from sponge. and
anxious she 10 get all the sponge contained
that II was found necessary to tie a string to it
| To prevent her from swallowing it. Large doses
/ Of paregoric were also accepted every few hours
Despite the unremtting her tempera ture went
| up l03, while her pulse fell 81 a minute. She
| also showed symptoms OF suffering from acute
fever. and her devoted keeper sat at her head.
| perChed top OF long ladder, all the night At
| daybreak he delighted to the suffering
! giraffe drop into a soothing slumber- When she
| auoke the crisis had passed.
| Elephants, camels and giraffes the most
! difficult 10 treat when sick Mr.. Heaey said in
| describing Lucy's treatment, from the fact that
il difficult reach the of the trouble They
are far susceptible remedies. however. than
| human beings owing probably the fact that
/ unusual for any OF our mig animals 10 become
/ sick They feed regularly and carefully
I watched Probably the worst case ever had was
when Zip. the big elephant. had liberated tooth
| Usually he Is the most docile elephant alive but
! and something had 70 be done quickly to relieve
him. We had to strap him down and extract the
tooth by force. but before a quart OF cocaine
| had been injected. That was two years ago and
he ba h-a