The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-29
NEW USE FOR DOGS.
Medical College Borrows Them t.
Experiment Upon with Cocaine.


The Tulane Medical School has made
curious agreement with the dog-catching
department of the city of New Orleans.
The medical school has borrowed some
of the city's captive dogs to use them for
illustrating the administration of anaes-
theics in surgical cases The understand
ing is that the medical school is not to let
the dogs % ss, escape after they have served
their clinical purposes. but to restore them
In good order to the dog pound. From pres
ent indications, however, the spirit and not
the letter of this agreement will be kept,
for one of the dogs, of cylindrical form, and
endowed by nature with a pelt that looks
like lemon pie, has been absorbed by
one of the porters of the medical school.
The dog Is now In apparently stunning con-
dition. and has the run of the medical
school.
The past few days rumors had gone
to the medical school for experimental
purposes had been kept an undue time
without food and had become SO noisy
as to worry the residents of the neighbor-
hood. 1t was even said that residents in
the rear of the medical school had
thrown scraps of food over the fences
to appease the appetites of the dogs and
to terminate their "cacaphanous" wailings
John A. Bacon. the secretary of Dean
Chaille. was seen In regard to these mat
would take pleasure in telling and showing
all he knew. MIR. Bacon led the way to a
high-walled lot, and at the gate giving APP
proach TO this lot was yellow cur that
seemed to be in the best of health and
spirits In corner of the lot was a good
sized pen in which We're four more ours,
all OF reassuring appearance. Mr.. Bacon
said all the dogs were fed regularly and
that any noises that may have proceeded
from them originated from different causes
The dogs appeared to have natural anirna-
ton, while their docility did not SAVIOR at
all OF subsection.
AS to the dogs being subjected to pain
full operations, Mr.. Bacon said the only
experiments that had been conducted con-
sisted of giving the dogs ether, cocaine
and chloroform, and then practically
demonstrating the procedure in certain
surgical operations. Mr.. Bacon showed
the reporter dog that had recently been
through such treatment. The dog showed
no indications of leanness. but seemed weak
from the effect of the anaesthetics or from
the nature of the operations TO which IL had
been subjected. IL a large brindled
dog of the market. variety. 1t was lying
in comfortable box, and was in a state Of
'convalescence." Mr.. Bacon said the dog re-
ceived food and all regular attention. The
dog showed no symptoms of pain, and wag-
ged its tail on being patted.
Mr.. Bacon said the only time the dogs
hours preceding the administration of an
aesthetics and the subsequent operations.
| This practice was In accord with the pro-
| cedure used before subjecting a human
| being TO operations. Mr.. Bacon said also
| that all experiments were, of course, con-
| Quoted under the direct supervision of one
OF the professors, and that their purpose
was 10 illustrate To students who had not
( the advantage of other clinical experience,
| the best methods Of administering an
aesthetics.