The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-28
EYE TREATMENT FOR A LION.
It's Mighty Hard TO Administer
They Find. in the Zoo.

Leo. the big lion in the Central park
menagerie. roared with pain yesterday
when the keepers tried to treat the
cataract he has in his right eye. and
the other, ions rOared through sympa
thy. The cataract has been growing
for three years.
Leo is u years old and tcas been IN
the -Ark five years. He is such a fine
specimen Of kingly beast. with his big
head n magnificent name, that many
artists have used him as a molel. His
keepers say he has got to know a ar
fist at sight. and when one approaches
he assumes his best nose am maintains
ii until the artist finishes.
A whitish sort of film was observed
in the lions yes three years ago AMI
it gradually spread over the crystal
line lens. closing the pupil little by
little. until recentl- he became totally
blind in that eve. The difficulty of
treating a lions eye prevented any
hing being done to cure the trouble
but as it kept getting steadily worse
= there seemed to be a prospect of
the disease affecting the other eye
Director Smith called DR.. Marsh. the
police surgeon to look at the optic.
The surgeon visited the lions house
and examined Leo's' eye as best he
could from in front of the IA Leo
lay on the floor of the cage. with his
head near the bars. ana DIinked at
the surgeon as the latter o observa-
tons.
That's cataract sure. The whole
pupil is O~bliterate"" said DR.. Marsh.
Whats to be done to save the
beast?" aske the director.
The eye must be operated on. l
think YOU r~f better have an eye spe-
cialist. who will be able to cut out the
cataract and restO~- the sight said
the SURGEON. Such things are being
done for human beings and may be
done for a lion. 1t will be an interest
ing case if the sight is restored.
He suggested that medical treatment
might be tried before the specialist was
called in, and prescribed several reme-
dies for Leo. The director got the med
icine in nOwler form and then found
that it would be n diff""1t matter to
get the stuff into the beasts eye. Billy
Snyder, the elephant keeper got a long
slender tin tube, and putting the pow
der into it. approached the cage. The
lion looked at him with his good eye,
and seeing an old acquaintance. did not
nov from befor- the bars. Snyder
put the u b to his mouth and blew the
powder into the blind eye.
The lion gave q roar and jumped to
his feet The stuff made the eye smart.
He paved at his eyes in an effort to
remove the DOWder and ~Oared louder
and louder. The other lions Joined IN
the roaring and Miss Murphy. the hip
90. became alarmed for her baby and
beloved.
Leo felt the effect Of the medicine for
half an hour or so. When Snyder tried
to repeat the dose Yesterday morning
the animal Spied him with his good
eye and retreated to the back of the
cage. Snyder watched for an oppOr-
tunitv, but Leo watched Snyder's move
mentS and kept out of his way.
Then HerrliCh. the keeper of the lion
house. was ordered to blow the powder
He and the lion were good friends and
Leo trusted in the friendship of his
keeper, 50 Herrlich was able to send
the powder into the eye. There was
more caring and the beast Dranced
about his cage. When Herrlich tried to
give another dose in the afternoon the
lion had classed him among his enemies
and KEEP out OF reach.
After that Director Smith decided to
abandon the medical treatment. He
says he thought it cleared UP the ball
eye some, but it was evident it could
not be carried out. so he has decided
that he will call an oculist 70 operate
on the eye.
When the operation takes place Leo
will be muZzled and bound. as the SUR
geor will have IL enter the cage to per-
form the de1i~~te work of cutting the
cataract out Of the lions eye.-New
York Sun.