The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-04
From the Pittsburg Leader.

"a BEAR EAR and f lion wsn sore ,l head na
keepers of the Highland Park
ZOO They had toothache. Just such an
ache as a human being finds uncomfortable.
Part of this trouble was removed when
DR.. N. Rectenwald, city veterinary sur
geon, pulled the diseased tooth from the
jaw of mountain lion, amid a roar of
mingled anger and pain that caused all
the other animals to seek the most re-
mote corners of their cages. The opera
ton on the bear will be performed later,
as the keepers and the doctor found one
job quite sufficient for single day.
The necessity of removing a tooth from
the jaw of wild animal without admins
tering chloroform or other anesthetic pre-
scented problem which taxed the ingen-
uity of Ernest Tretow. head keeper of the
zoo. DR.. Rectenwald was willing to per-
form the operation If the animal could
be property secured, but as the animal
is fierce one to handle, the usual method
of roping and tying 1t had to be given up.
Instead, Keeper Tretow constructed a
wooden cage in part of the lions cage
about three and a half feet wide and
seven feet long The rear end is movable
and when the lion was forced into this
cage the back was pulled toward the front
on slides, bringing the lion closer to the
bars of the big cage until he was finally
pinned against the bars and then held in
position there by dozen iron bars which
fitted into holes in the movable back Of
the wooden cage.
Growing and roaring, and with his eyes
flashing, the head of the lion was grad
ually forced back and upward and two
iron bars placed in his mouth as it opened
to it's widest to allow of the free exit of
the terrible growls and roars that intim-
idated the other beasts and made the
spectators tremble. When his jaws were
firmly prled open to their widest extent.
DR.. Rectenwald advanced with instrument
in hand, and the lion, with almost human
intelligence, shook the cage in its vain
efforts to get free.
The tooth was a left inferior canine
tooth and the gum around it was terribly
swollen and infamed. 1t measures two
inches in length and is a half inch thick
at its widest point and the root is very
long. 1t required terrible pull to free
the tooth, and as it came out the blood
flew in every direction, smearing the
boards of the operating cage and the
floor.
AS the doctor fastened his forceps
reached the limit of It's noise-making
power, but when the final pull came and
the tooth was jerlxed from the jawbone
there followed such a terrible howl of pain
as had never been heard in these parts
before and for minute all the fight was
out of the lion. But only for minute,
for as soon as the pressure against his
body was released and he had room in
which to move all his fighting instinct re-
turned and he made lunge for those in
sight that would have been disastrous
for them If they had been in reach.
DIR. Rectenwald says few efforts have
been made to remove the teeth of wild
animals and that of those which have
been attempted not many have been sue
cessful, principally because of the ina
bility to hold the animals while the oper-
alton is being performed.
| The bear which is suffering with the
| toothache is a large polar bear, one OF
| the largest in the zoo, and when the
| time comes for the operation on him
much trouble is expected, for he is a
powerful fellow, and It is feared more
| difficulty will be experienced in getting
him into a position where he will at once
be harmless and easy to handle.
The treatment of bears for any kind of
| ailment is difficult, and 1t is for this
/ reason that the operation on the one at
the zoo was postponed until experience
| was had with the lion. DIR. Rectenwald
says 1t is impossible to operate on any
portion of a bear which he can afterward
reach with his mouth, because of the GER
| tainty that he will gnaw at the sore
until he has eaten his own flesh and
finally dies
This he attributes to the result of tast-
| ing the blood which will flow from the
wound. Another of the bears at the zoe
! has a growth on one side of its ankles
similar to the enlargement on that Of
horse, but in this case, DR.. Rectenwald
| says, he does not dare to operate. be-