164 THE HANDLING OF ANIMALS 



with a piece of string round the muzzle behind the bit, tighten the ligature 

 and fasten the ends securely. 



If it be necessary to gag the animal with the mouth open for the purpose 

 of passing a catheter into the stomach, use a Claude Bernard's bit with a 

 double transverse branch. 



Instead of the bit a rectangular wooden gag of a size suitable to the animal, 

 and pierced with a hole in the centre may be used. After placing this gag in 

 the mouth behind the canine teeth fix the jaws with string. 



Method of holding dogs. After muzzling, the dog can generally be held 

 with the hands. For long operations the animal should be held with Claude 

 Bernard's, Malassez's, or Debrand's apparatus, or more simply by fixing it 

 by the feet, as has been described in the case of the rabbit, on to a heavy 

 wooden table perforated with holes or fitted with hooks through which 

 strings can be passed. 



Anaesthesia. It is rarely necessary to anaesthetize dogs in bacteriological 

 work. The animals take chloroform well, provided that large doses are 

 not given, and the liquid does not come in contact with the nasal mucous 

 membrane. 



In giving an anaesthetic a long muzzle is generally used, ending in a small 

 perforated box in which a sponge soaked in chloroform is placed. The 

 administration can be suspended or continued at will by taking off or replacing 

 the box on the muzzle. Small doses should be used to begin with. Anaes- 

 thesia is complete after 8-15 minutes. 



6. Cats. 



Cats are very difficult to manage, and are rarely used for bacteriological 

 experiments. It is best to take hold of them firmly by the skin of the back ; 

 or, if the cat be wild, adopt the noose method described above for dogs. 



In operating on a cat it is well to anaesthetize it. As soon as it has been 

 caught, put it into a large wide-mouthed jar in which there is a sponge 

 soaked in chloroform, and cover the jar at once. Cats are very sensitive to 

 chloroform, and the animal must be taken out of the jar as soon as it falls : 

 anaesthesia will continue for several minutes without any further administra- 

 tion. The animal may either be fixed on to the table already described, or 

 may be wrapped up in a large duster with the feet under the belly, the 

 head and anterior part of the body being pushed into a sack. This is an 

 excellent method for inoculations into the posterior part of the body, rectal 

 injections, etc. 



7. Monkeys. 



Monkeys especially Macacus rhesus are also difficult to manage [and are 

 so active that it is hard to catch them, if their cage be at all large. Wear 

 rough leather gloves and grasp the animal by the body or limbs, then take a 

 fresh grip, of] the skin at the back of the neck, and treat them in the same 

 way as dogs. It is necessary to chloroform them if the operation is likely 

 to last any length of time. 



8. Horses and Asses. 



Horses can nearly always be inoculated without adopting any special 

 method for holding them. It is enough for an assistant to hold them with a 

 bridle or halter. If a horse be nervous its eyes may be covered, and should 

 it struggle, a twitch may be used or one of its fore legs flexed and fastened. 

 For longer operations the horse may be shackled and thrown by methods 



