ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



433 



INDIAN RHINOCEROS 



into the anterior or aqueous lunnor. where a 

 process of slow absorption takes place. A cat- 

 aract is not, as most people suppose, a growth 

 over the ball of the eye, but a gradual change 

 of the humor in the crystalline lens, to a milky 

 opacity, eventually destroying the sight. 

 "Mogul" was captured in 1906. and upon his 

 arrival at the Park, it was noticed that the right 

 eye had been injured. Gradually the defect 

 communicated itself to the left eye, in time 

 rendering the animal nearly blind. Dr. Van 

 Mater diagnosed the case as cataract and ad- 

 vised the "needling" operation which is only 

 practicable in soft or young growth cataract. 

 "Mogul" was cast, by means of combination side 

 lines and hobbles, with considerable difficulty, 

 requiring the united aid of Drs. Blair. Ryder 

 and Ellis, and a number of the keepers, to ef- 

 fectually subdue him. Dr. Gwathmey admin- 

 istered the anesthetic, using a mixture of chloro- 

 form and ether. Fully an hour elapsed before 

 the animal succumbed, exhausting in its strug- 

 gles one and one-half pounds of chloroform and 

 three-quarters of a pound of ether. As is quite 

 well known, the eye is the surgeon's index of 

 the patient's condition under anesthetics, and as 



this was the point of operation, it was then nec- 

 essary to resort to local anesthesia, rendering 

 Dr. Gwathmey 's task a difficult one. Dr. Van 

 Mater then punctured botli capsules with a deli- 

 cate knife of peculiar and ingenious construc- 

 tion. The incision in the cornea was a thin slit, 

 but after penetrating the front of the crystalline 

 lens, the blade was turned in the handle, as it 

 was drawn back, making a T shaped cut, which 

 allowed the humor to flow into the anterior cham- 

 ber. The blade then being turned back on its 

 axis necessarily passed through the cornea in ex- 

 actly the same place as it entered, effectually 

 ])reventing the thin humor of the anterior cham- 

 ber from escaping. The operation was blood- 

 less and painless. The animal, despite the 

 enormous amount of anesthetic taken, was stand- 

 ing upon his feet within forty minutes after the 

 operation. He is recovering the use of the left 

 eye. The right one, being an advanced growth, 

 is yet cloudy. 



The work consumed nearly tliree hours, and 

 the services of the operating surgeons, Drs. Van 

 ]\Later and Gwathmey and their assistants, Drs. 

 Rvder and Ellis, were gratuitous. 



E. R. S. 



