SECRETARY'S REPORT 163 



A group of 1,620 foreign exchange students visited the Pai-k on 

 July 16, 1959 ; and 16,785 School Safety Patrol children, in 420 buses, 

 came to the Zoo on May 14, 1960, from many parts of the United States. 



While the Zoo does not conduct a regular research program as such, 

 effort is made to study the animals and to improve their health, hous- 

 ing, and diet in every way possible. 



REPORT OF THE VETERINARIAN 



As reported in previous years (1958, 1959) the projectile type of 

 syringe proved its usefulness in providing medication for captive 

 animals. With this method it is not necessary to rope, manhandle, 

 trap, or cage animals or exhaust either animals or keepers. As the 

 operator seldom needs help in using it, a considerable saving in man- 

 hours is also effected. 



With the use of the projectile syringe and the immobilizing tech- 

 niques, tliree interesting surgical operations were performed. One 

 was the removal of a large goiter from a male spotted hyena 

 anesthetized with a new barbitiu'ate. A survey of the available rec- 

 ords indicates that this type of thyroid enlargement has been found 

 in the past in hyenas in the National Zoological Park. The animal 

 had been treated medically for six months prior to surgery without 

 noticeable improvement. A small fibroma was removed from the 

 back of an Alaskan brown bear, using pentobarbital sodium intra- 

 venously as an anesthetic and succinylcholine chloride intramuscularly 

 as a pre-anesthetic. The pre-anesthetic facilitated a smooth and quick 

 induction of the intravenous barbiturate. A broken tooth was re- 

 moved from one of the female Malay sun bears with succinylcholine 

 chloride and a local anestlietic. With the newer techniques, this op- 

 eration was completed in a few mmutes instead of the more usual 

 several hours. 



A preliminary report on the use of succinylcholine chloride was 

 published in YeteHnary Medichie (vol. 54, p. 446, Sept. 1959), and 

 a more complete paper was presented by Dr. Warren R. Pistey at a 

 symposium on the automatic projectile syrmge at the University of 

 Georgia in April 1960. 



To the animals listed in last year's report as successfully immo- 

 bilized with this drug, the following can be added: Alaskan brown 

 bear, spectacled bear, Peninsula bear, hybrid bear, Formosan macaque, 

 rhesus monkey, European brown bear, sloth bear, and Malayan sun 

 bear. 



Work with alkaloidal nicotine as an immobilizing agent was con- 

 tinued on native white-tailed deer in cooperation with Dr. Vagn 

 Flyger of the State of Maryland Department of Eesearch and 

 Education. 



