Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
Queer Lot of ''Patients"
in This Animal Hospital
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
LONDON, September 10. 1912
fIXYIIO cares?' demanded large gray
w parrot, yesterday, waking up sud-
denly when a visitor halted in front of its
cage "Who cares?" it repeated, trucu-
lently. kiss your master! Bite your
missus, Three cheers for the king! Who
cares?"
AS it spoke. this reckless bird deftly
pulled out one Of it's own tail feathers
and tossed 1t carelessly on the floor of its
cage. 1t is because of this propensity to
despoil itself of its plumage that the par
rot, native to the west coast of Africa,
is now an inmate of the Animals Hospi-
tai on Belgrave road southwest, which is
carried on by the Dumb Friends
League" Hospitals for animals probably
are common enough in American cities.
but it Is doubtful II there Is buster one
on your side of the Atlantic than the Bel
grave road establishment, which had
nearly 1900 animal patients last year
or one that has to deal with funnier
cases.
Birds predominant among them-parrots
especially. Most of them. like our West
African friend, are lin for feather-pick-
ing, the cure for which consists in keep
ing Polly on a special diet. In spite of
being Ill, however, the parrot I saw keeps
on shouting who cares?" and calling for
cheers for the king from morn until dewy
eve. SO the matron of the hospital says
Most of these ailing parrots are laid up
| as the result Of being allowed by their
humble owners to gorge on all sorts of
things. One bird from the Amazon ar
rived at the hospital almost in a dying
condition and it's owners explanation
was: TT do so love hot roast pork. and
| my husband he SEES on Sunday let it en-
JOY Itself and have as much as 1t likes,
but thought it was give too much, and
| 1t has been like this all night
An unfortunate green parakeet was
| brought in that had been kept without
water for three years-a bit Of orange or
apple having been the only means offered
| it for quenching it's thirst When offered
| water at the hospital 1t drank so greedily
| that 1t made itself sick, so the nurses
| had to accustom it gradually to a few
spoonfuls at a time.
:. II had a job, too" said the matron ito
persuade the woman who owned It, when
| 1t went home, that she might safely give
!; the poor thing two ounces Of water morn
ing and night
All the animals at the hospital are the
property Of poor folks and a big per-
centage Of them are suffering through
| the ignorance of their owners. No end
OF lame horses are brought in. and it was
discovered a while ago that many of the
folk who owned them bought or begged
slightly worn shoes, which, being mostly
cast by carriage horses. were not suita-
Die Tor different class of nag. so, with
| false idea Of economy, the horses feet
were cut down to fit tho shoes.
The ingenious persons who did this ex-
planned that a new set of shoes cost too
| much and a good farrier cut into profits.
| Then there was q coster who brought a
] chestnut cob In for treatment, the ami
| mails feet being in an awful condition.
He said he had bought the horse in the
dark three days beforehand, and when
\ he. 60 111
found that deep sand cracks had been
| filled up with putty and BACKED over
| I'VE have hundreds of donkeys as pa
tents. too" said the matron. lone with
| a iacerated mouth and a general air of
| debility and depression was brought in
the other day by most optimistic own
| er. who said to our superintendent:
! She don't look up to much. guv nor,
but ye can't expect to come out on top
always. 1t was like this: Me and my
| mate went to market last week and there
was pair o. donkeys for $1l. So we
| dubbed together and tossed for a pick
| and this un amt 1t.
| "A dog named Caesar proved one of
our queerest cases. the matron went
| on. ''He came in suffering from what
| the man who owned him described as
| stiff neck He was supposed to have
been run over by a taxi, but when the
| usual remedies for sprained muscles and
| SO on had no effect we put him under the
long showed up clearly in the body the
| black knob being in the intestines and
the point right up at the back Of the
| neck. Swallowed, of course! Well, we
operated. and Caesar went home much
relieved.
Another canine patient also brought
about his own troubles. His master ex-
planned
Jack can't make out what's inside
them motor 'sisicycles,' and he rushes
after them until he Drops
1t was a fact that excitement and vio-
lent exercise had misplaced the heart.
and 1t was enlarged abnormally until It
| nearly filled the chest cavity.
The hospital treats hundreds Of cats.
too one of which was brought in re-
| Gently with its head firmly fixed in an
empty lobster tin. The operation which
released Puss was performed with can
opener.
Her serene highness the Duchess of
Teck is president of the Animals Hospi-
tai, and there are two marchionesses. six
teen countesses and no end Of lady
ships" among the vice presidents.