The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-07-06
Donkey Cure for Whoopine Cough.
From the New York Sun.

i1SiAA AAlS WV yin kJbA4.
My little girl here has the whoop-
ing cough and 1 want to have her
cured" said a woman to Policeman
Coyle near the elephant house in the
Central park menagerie yesterday.
why not take her to a doctor?" re-
spoaded the policeman.
Il had q doctor, but she does not get
better. The physician says the disease
must run it's course, but a neighbor
told me that her boy took the donkey
cure here and advised me to try it.
Where is the donkey. please?" went
on h oma
In there, ma'am,' said the police
man, pointing to the deer house.
A curious visitor who happened to
overhear the colloquy mad inquiries
able number Of persons in the city
who faith in h donkey cure.
They are not all urlettered persons.
either.
Their wkims, IL they may be called
such, are always humored by the keep
happier. 1t is to increase the sum Of
human happiness that Father knick-
erbocker maintains a collection of
beasts and birds in the park.
The curious visitor followed the
woman and her child into the deer
er Phil Holmes had just finished feed
ing the animals and the woman spoke
to him about her child.
THE little darling is troubled so
with the terrible cough that she, gets
black n blue in the face. 1 would
do anything to get relief-for her." said
the woman.
You want to. pass her under the
jackass, Ell? To be sure. ma'am. I'll
do 1t for h handsome little lady"
child to the alleyway behind the stalls,
took the ass out of it's Enclosure. and
fastened its halter strap to a ring in
the wall. The animal stood quietly. as
though 1t knew from experience Just
what was required of 1t. Besides, a
usually it's reward, and it is very fond
of sugar.
The donkey cure must be performed
in a particular way to be efhcacious.
At least that is the accepted theory in
under the animals belly three times
from the right side to the left, and
must return to the right side from the
left each time over the animals back.
When the patient is a child the mother
child under III beast to the keeper
on the other side. He takes the child
and. passes it over the beast to the
mother.
You'd be surprised how may peo-
pie believe in this cure for whooping
SooSis w Sdlo CllS1 WCIAu. 1 Z
member one day a child. its mother
and it's grandmother came in here and
asked to have the infant pass under
the ass. The grandmother said that
the chfld's mother had been cured Of
the cough in the menagerie when she
was a child. This the mother herself
did not remember, but h believed
what her own mother said, and wanted
to try it for her little child. Quite Of
ten women come into the building and
tell me th%atstheir children had got bet
ter after going under the ANIMAL"
The keeper was asked If he knew on
what theory women visitors based their
belief in the healing virtue of the sing
u!ar treatment.
Yes. some Of the women explained
that our Lord entered Jerusalem rid
ing on an ass. Some Of the people
went to Him and<asked to be cured OF
their diseases. Well. in some way peo-
pie nowadays seem to think that be-
ca aus our d Lord rode on a donkey all
here. Don't you see the figure Of a
cross on the animals back? tits quite
plain
The color OF he animal is mostly
white. but there was a black streak
running along the back, with arms
branching off over shoulders. The
black hair pesembled a cross in a white
setting.
Some Of the wonen the keeper said.
come back to the menagerie in the
course Of time and bring gifts to the
donkey. The gifts are sugar. cookies
and cakes. Sometimes the women Wis
itors are accompanied by children, and
it is then the little ones that feed the
animal. Tom, the donkey, is the most
pampered animal in the deer house.
and always sticks his muzzle through
the bars If a visitor approaches his
stall. He is probably the homeliest
animal in the building, but he has more
friends among visitors than the grace
ful Mexican deer. the begging axis
the long whiskered aoudad or the
handsome East Indian antelope.