Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-16
HOSPITAL FOR HORSES
Great Strides in the Field Of
Veterinarianism.
BEST OF TREATMENT
EVEN A DARK WARD FOR
EQUINEs WITH EYE TROUBLE.
Operating Tables and Anaesthetics
Regularly. Employed in Up-to-
Date Institutions

not the only class that is provided with
asylums for the relief of individuals when
they are In need Of the care of experts in
the treatment of diseases and accident,
There are hospitals OF many kinds sit
uated in out OF the way corners of the ma
tional capital. Kindly persons have es-
tablished institutions for the care of sick
dogs, cats and other household pets, but
the horse has had provided for him such
alluring attractions in the shape of hos
pitfalls that some Of the animals are said to
have become hypochondriacal after receiv-
ing treatment at the hands of the scientific
operators employed there.
During the past half century great strides
have been made in the field of veterinarian
ism, and today the ills Of the horses are
understood nearly as well as are those of
his two-legged master An interesting
visit to a horse hospital was made yester
day 10y a Star reporter, whose informa
ton on the subject was largely augmented
by the explanations of the various methods
OF treatment given the patients by the eff
cfent surgeon in charge.
Horses Susceptible to Drugs.
Horses" said the expert. "are more sus-
ceptible to the influence and action Of
drugs than human beings, a statement that
is readily explainable by reason of the fact
that they only take medicine when they
al Z ASdhiy SiSAs anu uOL OOoIu6 dn lhc
time for imaginary Ills.
When a sick horse Is brought to the
hospital he Is given a prompt examination
ana MS treatment prescribed. Some OF
them are troublesome. but in the majority
or cases the Intelligent animals seem to
know that they are to be benefited by the
work that Is done for their internal mech
anism and are eorrespondingiy amiable.
Il have had horses come here with their
jaws swollen from the toothache to such
an extent that a man in a like condition OF
suffering would try to kill anyone who
touched him, but the horse stood like a
Spartan while the forceps We're introduced
and the tooth drawn.
Then, with his mouth packed with cot
ton and antiseptics. he would go quietly to
his stall In the ward where We put them
for recuperation. A horse once relieved of
the intense pain of toothache can be OPP
Grated on for almost anything afterward,
and will give no trouble. He has had tan
gible evidence that We are helping him, and
gladly submits to whatever we may have
to do in the future.
Regular Operating Table.
I'm cases where we have to operate we
treat them very much as human beings
are treated under like conditions There
Is the operating table, for instance. Oh,
yes, of course, we have an operating table.
Here 1t is,'' and he led the way to the
rear of the establishment, where, under
ShSllSnt- WAS the ldDle.
It was very much like the tables that
are used In hospitals for human beings,
save that there were numerous bands and
straps attached to 1t for binding the pa
tlent before administering the anaesthetic.
The light was as good as could be secured
from q large skylight, and electric lamps
hung around 1t for use at night or on dark
days
"In former days" continued the horse
surgeon, 'the methods Of treating dumb
AiyV,a1 r % Iu-f Il o,,I
only sanctioned because OF the necessity
of saving many horse lives as possible.
Then, If a horse had a growth on any part
of his body and it could be removed with
out causing his death, 1t was removed at
once, and the poor animal allowed to suf-
fer during and after the operation.
mo such thing as chloroform was
thought of for an instant. The animal was
strapped down to the floor, his legs were
clamped with irons, and the doctor used
his knife as II he were cutting into a dead
body, and not one quivering with life and
nerves Now we do nothing of the sort.
It is not the age of cruelty to dumb anil
mails and we treat them as carefully as il
they were human beings
Collie, Bad Teeth and Chills.
The ailments that most frequently come
to US for treatment are collie. lameness eye
troubles. cuts. bruises. bad teeth and chilIs
Tuberculosis is not common In horses, but
pneumonia is, and the chances with a horse
that contracts that disease are about equal
to mans with it. Chills are frequent, and
the first treatment is whisky and quinine.
eve use remedies almost similar to those
that are prescribed for human beings in
like cases, but the dose for horse Is from
eight to ten times much as a man could
safely take. In the case of a fine hunter
that was brought here the other day by an
English groom dose Of three ounces of
whisky and quinine made the groom remark
that he wished he was horse with the
quinine left out of the dose.
Dark Ward for Eye Sufferers.
1--WE have a dark ward for the eye suf-
ferers. and a sunshiny one for the eonva-
iescents, that all In all we are not so
far behind the real hospital that is known
to the mass Of the people,
1--WE had an exciting time here the other
day. and for little while 1t looked as IL
We would have to set fire to the place to
save ourselves from the wrath of the neigh
bors. A fractions little mare was brought
in suffering from a bad tooth. She didn't
like the smell Of the place as she was led
past the Office where We keep the drugs,
and began to fight to get out into the world
again.
I'VE had to close the door and throw
blanket over her head before we could get
her to the operating table, and when we did
get her there the fun began. She fought
like a demon and her heels made circles
among the electric lamps.
THE spirit of dissatisfaction spread to
the stalls where We had all sorts of pa
tients under treatment and when they be-
gan to raise their voices in choral protest
at the treatment OF a fellow-being pande-
moniun reigned. The voices Of the beasts
were added to the kicks and struggles of
those that were free to kick. and the din
was terrific. In fact 1t was so great that
1t had its beneficial effect Or the little mare,
for when she realized that she had occa-
stoned II all and that her protests were un-
avaiiing she quieted down some and we
had less trouble than we had anticipated In
strapping her to the board that adjoins the
table. AS soon as we had her on the plank
the crank was turned and she lay on her
side ready for the chloroform.
Gave an Anaesthetic.
"When you once make an animal perfect
ly helpless 1t ceases to struggle seeming to
realize, quite as well as a human being,
that It has lost the fight. This was the case
with the mare. She lay on her side, not
another kick of rebellion left In her ener-
getic legs, and her tranquility was COM
municated to her sympathizers. all OF them
stopping their noise at the same time, until
the place was almost as quiet as tomb
I'VE then gave her the anaestheffo a,d