The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-21
A DOCTOR FOR BIRDS
A Hospital in New York Accommo-
dates 500 Birds. ':
FAMILY PETS; THEIR AILMENTS
The Patients Are Treated Exactly
as Human Patients-The Sur
DicaI Ward. --t

gicaI' Ward,
':The splints must stay on this canary's leg
for ten days. : And it must have strong
tonic during it's .convalescence.',, ..-.
The bird doctor laid the patient on its bed
of absorbent cotton and turned to the next
case. = r ..x..r, -. e.. D..
Your wings droop badly, tongue heavily
coated, some fever,'' enumerated the special
ist as she rapidly diagnosed the patient. 'I
must have your. temperature The bird, a
forl0rn parrot, was thereupon wrapped III
cotton and a medical thermometer was in
serted under its wing. r. -
The bird hospital is an amazingly we'll
patronized institution. The pet bird Dopula-
tion is large, and as a rule can well afford
the luxury of medical attendance. There Is
no end to the ailments the household birds
are likely to develop. and accidents requir-,
ing prompt surgical attention are numerous
In the New York bird hospital, conducted
by Miss Virginia Pope, there are frequently
as many as 500 patients at a time Their
complaints vary from slight indispositon and
chronic diseases to fractures demanding in
slant attention The medical and surgical
work is performed by an experienced, in
telligent and sympathetic hand. The death
rate Is low. '3. -
There are several wards; large light rooms
for the convalescents and small, darkened
apartments for the contagious cases, and the
patients requiring rest and quiet. All about
the main wards are ranged the private wards
in great variety. There are large, airy cages
with lofty perches. and dark boxes with hot
water bottles, mattresses, cotton pillows and
warm flannel coverings. ~.'-.t ~. -
Ordinary boarders are accommodated here
for fee Of Is cents week. In cases where
delicate surgical operations are performed or
stubborn disease treated the Doctors bill
is comparatively large. Surgical operations
frequently cost S. or So The bird hospital,
like many other modern institutions, is part
Ny charity. There are free wards or perches
for all. No sick or injured bird ever applies
in vain for admittance. ~ s: ,7C - 49,
The list of ailments as recorded on the
blotter atethe bird hospital is naturally long
and varied. Probably nowhere else in the
entire animal kingdom is sickness SO COM
mon as among the familiar household pets.
The nature of birds complaints has been a
good deal Investigated of late, and with
great SUCCESS. 81 .=.-.-@.. r.. - ~ -
The medical attention given to sick pa
tient in the bird hospital is surprisingly like
that given to human patients. bird cold
is diagnosed In the conventional way. First
its tongue is examined. The condition of the
digestive apparatus and any fndiscretion In
eating Is quickly observed. The eye also
tells its own story of the general vitality. The
dropping of the feathers is. Of course, a famil-
taken as a matter Of course
The treatment itself goes on much the same
as in any hospital, though with reduced doses.
The medicines administered are the familiar
agents naturally, associated with colds and
congestions The doses are given by pills or
liquids. ~ 10 +
The bird doctor has much the same trouble
in giving a pill to bird to refractory
child Pills are usually given In a grape or
mixed with some food. In extreme cases the
dose is forced down the birds throat. Liquid
medicines are dropped into the birds mouth,
or the bird, If dt will, drinks, drop by drop,
from the end of the finger
Hot baths, bandages and warm applications
are usually prescribed along with the medi-
cines. very common practice is to tie a
bird securely on a hot water, bag and cover
it with flannel to bring on a perspiration.
Most birds respond very quickly to sdch
treatment. =
BY far the mcst interesting part of this
hospital work Is on the surgical side. An
emergency ward equipped for the most urgent
cases is open day and night The operating
table is nothing more formidable than an
artistic dressing table covered with glistening
scalpels, spirits and bandages. chloroform
masks, antiseptics and medicines. -e-
: The birds are commonly operated upon
without using chIoroform. 1t is only in
cases where considerable cutting is to be done
or the patient is particularly restless that it
is frst rendered unconscious.
The operations are gone about in the most
approved surgical way. The bird is first
washed with some antiseptic and the instru-
ments and needles used are all carefully
sterilized The birds are usually held in the
hand during the operation. though the larger
and more powerful ones are sometimes firmly
bound to the operating table.
The commonest surgical operation Is the
care OF fractured legs and wings In nine
cases in every ten according to the bird
specialists, a broken wing or leg can be saved.
The broken leg, is pulled apart until the
two ends of the bone come together, when 1t
Is covered with splints and tightly bandaged.
In dressing canary birds legs an ordinary
quill toothpick is often used for splint.
The quill, when split, is merely placed about
the leg and bandaged. Several birds which
have had their legs broken In as many as
three places have been cured at the bird hos
pital, scarcely retaining scar to show the
point of fracture. The legs are SO soft that
they heal very quickly. Ten days, or at most
two weeks Of treatment will usually make
them as good as new tor all practical pur-
poses s gl4ss~
One of the first things to catch the eye in
the surgical ward Is the peculiar hanging
bandage used in all cases OF bruises or frac-
lures. The bird rests In a loop of soft cloth,
with It's feet extended through two Sits In the
bottom 1t remains very comfortable in this
position without being able to move its legs
~ ctr tho handapeS s5E4rI