Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1903-01-28
THE FISH SURGEON.
OPERATIONS WHICH HE PERFORMS
UPON HIS PATIENTS.

q Fish May De Kept Out of Water
= From Five to Seven Mfnutes-How
p Medicines Are Administered.
| The fish doctor, like the regular doc
| tor, gives medicine, performs surgical
| operations and superintends his pa
| tents diet and environment. These
! are the principal operations which he
performs: Trimming the fish's tail with
fish shears when fungous growths ell
large it; stripping the fish to remove
the eggs or milt that have not been
naturally deposited; eXcising with the
lance tumors, lacerated scales and
splinters of bone.
Among the medicines that the fish
doctor gives are castor oil for swelling
of the swimming bladder and nux vom-
lea for debility and emaciation. This
specialist also presides over the food
of the fish, inspects their food troughs
thoroughly aud makes microscopic ex-
aminations of their water to see that 1t
contains the proper life giving elements
in their due proportions. Regarding
these matters, whcA are as important
to healthy as to sick fish, the leading
fish doctor of Philadelphia recently
said:
"A food trough of eDameled ware
that will not 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 as a consequence OF
this treatment the fish will gather
around their trough at mealtime, which
they will instinctively recognize, as
greedily as hogs, burying their noses
in the food when 1t is set before them
and crowding and pushing one another
In q healthy, ravenous and hOglike
manner The trough should be cleaned
once day lest it get sour, but the wa
ter of the fish should rarely be changed.
Even when it becomes foul smelling it
should only be changed gradually-a
quart day, say-for to change it all
at once has the effect of terrible ex-
posure-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 sew
en- minutes without the slightest harm
to them. and there is no operation that
requires longer space of time. But
what makes ii difficult is the disincli-
nation of the flesh to heal after it has
been cut. \ wound to heal requires to
be dry. Nothing is more deleterious to
it than any sort of moisture, and hence |
the troubles of fish wound bathed
evitably. therefore. fish operations are |
simple and slight.
One of them is the trimming OF tails |
enlarged to unwieldiness by grOwths |
of fungus. In this work sharp shears
with blades oddly curved-fish shears
are employed The fish is lifted from
the water and held head downward
while its tail is being trimmed. A dex-
ferrous operator gets through the work
in two or three minutes. There Is no
flow of blood and no gaping wound
that will not heal; hence tail trimming
is in nine cases out of ten successful.
1t must he resorted to often with jap
anese goldfish. for these costly and
graceful creatures, with their resem-
blance to strange golden flowers, have
tails bigger than their bodies, and when
their tails. as frequently happens, be-
come affected with fungus, they are I'M
able to swim WELL and sometimes, In
deed. they drown. A fish "drowns"
when. floating with it's head
out of the water. it dies from asphyxia-
ton.
The knife is used on fish to remove
tumOrs or lacerated scales or splintered
bones. which. unexcised. would cause :
the fsh's death Lacerations of the
scales are only treated when they are :
80 severe that the fish without treat :
ment would surely die. This operation :
IS successful in about 20 per cent Of the
cases. The remaining 80 per cent die 1.
because their wounds do not heal
Stripping is an operation resOrted to
when, In the breeding season, the fish,
through some malady or other does
not deposit naturally It's eggs or Its .
nilt. The patient in this operation Is =
leld with the left hand while with the
light firm pressure Is exerted along ,
is sides from the breast down to the
all. Stripping is the least dangerous :
If all the operations in fish surgery. =
Admirable results are obtained by
losing fish with medicines Castor oil. :
or swelling of the swimming bladder, =
s remedy that seldom fails. A fish's :
lose of castor oil is one drop, diluted
slightly. The liquid may be admins :,
cred either with spoon or with q =
luill tOothpick. The process In each !.
'ase is similar The fish is held In an T.
rect position. its head well up, and the "
lrippings from the toothpick or the :,
contents of the spoon are directed into :,
Is mouth Sometimes they flow forth ~
gain through the gills, and In this -
vent the dose must be repeated. -
A swollen swimming bladder Is q =,
requent and dangerous ailment OF T.,
aptive fish Under it they become ex. =,
remedy cOrpulent and unwieldy. At :.
ength they turn over and float on their
acks. Finally they die But In nine
asses out of ten one dose Of castor oil
ures this disease In day. Fish often IN
ose appetites. become thin and weak co
nd apathetic. Their trouble then Is q,
tomachic. and nux vomica, with them "
S with human beings. affords quick A
elief. drop Of dilute nux vomica y,
sll bring back a fish's appetite, re- n,
tore its weight and make 1t active and n,
heerful New York Tribune. co