The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-17
EYE TREATMENT FOR A LION.
IT'S MIGHTY HARD TO ADMINS
TER, THEY FIND, IN THE roo.
Fine old Roaring and Pranclns Time when
leo. whose hight Optic IL Blind From
q Cataract, Got Dose of Powder In II
He's to BE Operated On Lake Human

--He'stO he Operated On Lake Human
Leo, the big lion in the Central Park
menagerie, roared with pain yesterday
| he has in his right eye, and the other lions
| roared through sympathy. The cataract
! has been growing for three years.
Leo is IL years old and has been in
the Park five years. He is such fine
/ specimen of the kingly beast, with his big
head and magnificent name, that many ar
lists have used him as a model His keepers
! say he has got to know an artist at sight,
and when one approaches he assumes
his best pose and maintains it until the artist
finishes.
A whitish sort of film was observed in
the lions eye three years ago and 1t gradu-
ally spread over the crystalline lens, closing
the pupil little by little, until recently he
became totally blind in that eye. The
difficulty Of treating lions eye prevented
anything being done to cure the trouble,
but as it kept getting steadily worse and
there seemed to be prospect Of the disease
affecting the other eye, Director Smith
called DIR. Marsh, the police surgeon, to
look at the optic.
The surgeon visited the lion house and
examined Leo's eve as best he could from
in front OF the cage. Leo lay on the floor
of his cage, with his head near the bars,
and blinked at the surgeon as the latter
took observations.
That's cataract, sure. The whole
pupil is obliterated, said DR.. Marsh.
What to be done to save the beast"
asked the director.
"The eye must be operated on. think
you had better have an eye specialist,
who will be able TO cut out the cataract
and restore the sight," said the surgeon.
"Such things are being done for humans
and may be done for lion. 1t will be
an interesting case if the sight is restored
He suggested that medical treatment
might I've tried before The speciallst was
called in, and prescribed several reme-
dies for Leo. The director got the medi-
cine in powder form and theu found that
il would be difficult matter 70 get the
stuff into the beasts eye Billy Snyder,
the elephant keeper, got long, slender
tin TUBE, and putting the powder into IL,
approached the cage. The lion looked
at him with his good eye, and, seeing an
old acquaintance, did not move from be
fore the bars. Snyder put the tube to
his mouth and blew the powder into the
blind eve.
The lion gave roar and jumped to his
feet The stuff made the eye smart. lie
paved at his eve in an effort to remove
the powder, and roared louder and louder,
The other lions joined in the roaring. and
Miss Murphy, the hippo, became alarmed
for her baby and beloved.
Leo felt the effect OF the medicine Tor
half an hour or 40. When Snyder tried
to repes. the dose vest lrday morning
the animal spiad him with his good eye
and retreated to the back of the age.
Snyder watched for all opportunity, bur
Leo watched Snyder's movements anG
Kept out of his way.
Then Hcrrlich. the keeper OF the lion
housa, WAS ordered to blow the powder.
He ard the lion were good friends and
Leo trusted in the rieniship of his keeper,
20 Hsrrlich was able 70 send the powder
into tho eye There was moro roaring
and the beast pranced about his cage.
When Herrlich tried 70 give another dose
in the afternoon the lion had classed him
among his enemies and kept out OF reach.
After this Director Smith decided to
abandon the medical treatment. He
says he thought it cleared up the bad eye
some, but it was evident IL could not be
carried out, so he has decided that he will
call an oculist to operate on the eye.
When the operation takes place Leo
will be muzzled and bound, as the sur
geon will have to enter The cage to per
form the delicate work Of cutting the cata-
ract out of the animals eye,