262 



FOREST -AND 1 STREAM. 



AoottM'iTntG Pobi [Rs BibdS.— AI the last meeting of the 

 American Acclimatization Society, on Friday, Messra lingerie 

 Schieffelin and Jolm Avery were appointed a committee to 

 purchase foreign birds and animals. The society has already 

 imported a number Of English starlings and Japanese night- 

 ingales, which will soon be liberated in Central Park. They 

 have also bought a lot of English ipiail, which will be turned 

 out. in Blooming Grove Park, Pike County, Penn. They in- 

 tend to import a number of English bares for the same place. 



AimrVALS \t I'imn.u, I'hk M i ■ :< xr.v.mi: v,m \\ kf.k EndiniI JI.u JO. 

 —One robin, Tmtlv. „>; ; ,,„i, ,,■;„.-.; presented by .Mr. Edward liieruau, 

 Xew York city- Two red-laded lian 1. . Bulm ' ■■ . •. presetted tQ 



Mr. r. i . Sot-lmgeour, New York char, one gray stratrrei, smurtu itw- 



olincmsi*; presented by Mr. J. L. Edmonds. New York city. One 

 Huullnluwn rum, Olds arks: presented to Mr. Lewis S. .Morris, New 

 Vorki'iiy. One Passerine parrafceei, Psiitacula ,:-..,.., presented 

 by Mrs. Karrel, Yonkers. Two California quail. J 

 presented by Jlr. S. Davis. New York city. Sonr pi airte uroives, On 

 idiraiu: bred m me Menagerie, w. -A. toNki.is, Directt 



AltKIVAl-S AT TOE P wll.ttl El.lHH ZoOLOI.lCAl, GARDEN loll WEEK 



Exdenu Mat s-i.— Two beavers, Qastvr mnadmste, purchased; one 



rofl-tatled buzzard, Hvue bomdis, presented; cue common pigeon, pre- 

 sented; one sparrow hawk, Tiimuneutws sjucrrnrim, presented; eight 



striped gophers, Sjirfmujilnlu-, ; ... born in Gulden: one 



reed bird, Dnlieliauijx aryzLcurus, presented. 



Ahthck E. Bkijm-.v, General Superintendent. 



CANINE THERAPEUTICS AND PA- 

 THOLOGY.— No. I. 



BY AK< uTBE 



TBlBRAPETTTICS, TJ&rapcLa, Tfwrapeutiea, from Thr- 

 rapeita, "I core." By the term is meant the applica- 

 tion of remedies for the cure, alleviation or prevention of dis- 

 ease. Taken alone, and in its widest sense, it includes not 

 only medicinal agents but many surgical operations. In con- 

 nection with materia medica. the meaning of this term is limited 

 to the application of medicinal substances for the purposes above 

 indicated. It is with hesitancy that I attempt this series of 

 articles, for if taken in Us fullest sense Therapeutics embraces 

 SO wide a range of subjects that it is almost impossible lo he- 

 stow a 'due consideration on ihe whole, and it is very evident 

 that ll treatise on the science in its more limited sense, namely, 

 I. hat of including the principal articles of the materia medica 

 alone, as applied to canines, would be very incomplete and de- 

 fective. In these ehai.leis, therefore, some of the most, ordi- 

 nary remedial agents, which properly belong to surgery, as 

 Mood letting, issues and setons, will receive notice, as being 

 inseparably connected with the former class of Therapeutic 

 Lgcnl 



; ,. ; . ulics and pathology are so intimately connected with 

 each. Other dial unless the latter be well understood, theoreti- 

 Bftlly as well as practically, it is almost impossible to be a. sue- 

 I ill therapeutist, hence I shall not not neglect that: branch. 

 It is true that, occasional empirical practice may succeed in ef- 

 fecting cures, but he who alone is well instructed in the science 

 ctf pathology can administer remedies with a hope of anything 

 like uniform or permanent success. By the term pathology is 

 meant a thorough know ledge of disease, its causes, eharacter- 

 isiie signs and symptoms, the morbid changes which take place 

 in the several organs of the body, and an intimate acquaintance 

 with morbid anatomy. But this does not comprise all that is 

 required to form a sound therapeutist, fie should be thorough- 

 ly acquainted with the medicines which he employ's, their 

 natural history, their chemical composition, then' physiological 

 effects on the healthy animal, their modus operandi in morbid 

 conditions, their effects in over-doses, and their manner of pro- 

 dueing death. To this lie should add a knowledge of their iu- 

 diealions and eontn. -Indications, as well as of those combina- 

 tions which diminishorincrea.se the medicinal activity of the 

 various drags. Such an amount of knowledge is only to be 



obi 



ed by 



v. ni. 



■logy which 



have been made 01 late years by ihe aid of chemistry and the 

 microscope, but little \- rfgri ss has been made ia the science as 



applied tei our canine friends, and that little is largely the re- 

 sults of experiments made, in behalf of the former; hence 

 many points yet remain involved in deep obscurity. Of Ihese 

 hydrophobia may be taken as a prominent example. When 

 we have ascertained more ;<"• , ,, \ .. -,. .at and nature of now 

 obscure diseases, which can only be done by more extended 

 anatomical researches, and when the modus operandi Of medi- 

 cines on the canine frame is more thoroughly understood we 

 Shall doubtless be enabled, by attacking the cause . .1 the dis- 

 ease vvltb. appropriate remedies, to at once eradicate it fromthe 

 system: but ill Hie obscurity which at present hangs over our 

 knowledge of the history of various diseases, we must, initially 

 instances, content ourselves with playing, if I may so express 

 , , econdary part by attacking the symptoms which present 

 themselves 111 the course of a disease ; and he will be the most 

 icoesaful HllO does not allow the smallest of Ihese symptoms 

 t(J pass unheeded but, directs his efforts to their removal and 

 alleviation. It is not only on the bold, prominent symptoms 

 Which arrest our notice, I bat. attention should be bestowed, but 

 it is upon, the small, perhaps in s ign ifi cant symptoms that the 

 .. iperienced Will setae, and from which bewail oftimes have 10 

 draw deductions, to serve as a guide in regulating his stlbso- 



tjuent treatment of th6 case, Such minor symptoms must he 



Bought for or they never will lie discovered : indeed, it should 

 be iaid down as a. rule in practice that there is no such thing 

 as a trivial symptom, for even the smallest may be fraught 

 with deep importance to the experienced eye of the intelligent, 

 pieseriber. Paradoxical as it may souml. it is undoubtedly 

 (rue, that in some diseases the very absence of an ordinary 

 symptom is of itself sulfieieut to constitute one. These obser- 

 vations are not intended in any degree to detract from the vast 

 importance of endeavoring to ascertain, by close and vigilant, 

 csaiitiuation., the source and 'origin of a disease which we are 



otTtetlupon to treat. Without an accurate knowledge of these 



points we Shall fail to effect a radical cure, however successful 

 our efforts may prove in alleviating for a time the severity of 

 the symptoms. 



A consideration of the diversified causes in which certain 

 disease* have their origin should teach us the necessity of min- 

 utely examining into each individual case, and of adapting our 

 remedies to 1 he cause, as far as that can be ascertained. It. 

 should, further, teach us to receive with great circumflpectil 

 remedies which from time to time are paraded as specifics < 

 " almost, specifics." The practice too, of treating 11 disease a. 

 eliding to its name without minutely cxamiiimefinlo each par- 

 ticular case and adapting the appropriate remedies to the 

 several indications which present themselves, can not be too 

 strongly reprobated. In prescribing medicine;-: for Ihe removal 

 Of disease il should ever be borne iu mind that nature lends, in 

 Ihe majority of cases, to repair injuries inflicted upon Ihe body, 

 and to remove morbid or deranged conditions of the system 

 This instinctive healing power— the " Vis MedieMtriv jVa.tara"— 

 is undoubtedly capable, when aided bv a judicious system of 

 hygiene, of effecting the cure of disease, particularly when it 

 is of mild character, without the assistance of any medicine 

 whatever. When consequently a disease presents itself for 

 treatment, in which hygienic means alone offer a fair prospect, 

 of success, they should always be employed in prafeienceid 

 medicines, it being always best to restore health by 1 be most 

 simple means. 



The credit which is really due to Ibis natural healing tendency 

 is too ollen ascribed to some drug which Ihe patient may hap- 

 pen to be taking al ihe period of improvement or recovery, and 

 thus many medicinal substances become endowed with reputed 

 powers which they really do not possess, ft does not neces- 

 sarily follow because a case recovers under a certain remedy, 

 that recovery is due to that agent. In illustration of the fal- 

 lacy of any such deductions 1 may mention a case of my own: 

 Having seen il mentioned in the Fockst axd Stueau that 

 areca nut was a certain anthelmintic, I determined to give it, a 

 trial at the first Opportunity. Short.]) afterwards a. friend ap- 

 plied to me to examine a favorite setter and prescribe. 

 liiving him some powders of Ihe nut 1 gave the necessary di- 

 rections as lo iheir administration. A day later, liaving occa- 

 sion to visit one of bis family professionally, 1 asked regard- 

 ing the dog, ana was informed the remedy had acted lTke a 

 charm, and al the termination of Ihe call we passed out to the 

 Stable to see the animal. Inquiring as lo bow he administered 

 the powder, my friend answered Ilia!, he had not given it him- 

 self, but had delegated the administration to his hired belli. <>n 

 being called the latter ackdowledged thai the medicine bad not 

 been given at all, it, having been forgotten. Now observe, had 

 the medicine been taken as we supposed, and Intestinal worms 

 passed a few hours later, as was the case, what would have 

 been more natural than to have ascribed the benefit lo the 

 remedy employed r whilst, in fact, it was entirely due to the 

 unassisted powers of nature. It is necessary that, medicine 



amount of benefit before we are warranted in attributing to it, 

 the power of curing or alleviating a disease, or in other 'words 



in endowing it wiih the character of a valuable remedy. 



In connection with this subject it may prove neither useless 

 nor imi nst motive to my readers to oiler' a few remarks on the 

 use and abuse of new" medicines. Whenever a .hitherto un- 

 known remedy is brought, prominently forward Ihe periodical 

 journals of the day overflow with accounts of the wonderful 

 cures performed by its means. It would almost, seem that, the 

 grand panacea of the old philosophers had at. last been dis- 

 covered : and if we are lo believe it to lie endowed with all 

 the wonderful and varied powers which its advocates ascribe 

 loit, we might wilh one swoop consign all the old articles of 

 the Materia Medica to the sea of oblivion. Novelty is always 

 pleasing, even in medicine, and the nervous of hysterical 

 woman who reads or is told of the wonders effected bv sonic 

 newly discovered medicine, is seized with a desire to test its 

 virtues. Her faith is increased by the report of 1 he unexampled 

 cures of cases similar to her own': and Ihe medical man him- 

 self, not uninfluenced by the pleasure of novelty, without in- 

 tentionally desiring lo deceive, holds out a hope* to the patient 

 that a remedy has at last been discovered, which promises to 

 be more successful than any which had been previously ml 

 ministered. Tims given by a sanguine medical man to a con- 

 fiding patient, particularly when ihe latter is laboring under a 

 nervous or hysterical uil'c'ction (a elas< of maladies much more 

 common than is usually imagined), it is not very surprising if 

 improvement take place, and the supposed cure is. in turn, 

 added to swell the list of wonderful successes: not that the 

 remedy, perhaps, is devoid of medicinal power in certain cases; 

 indeed, it may be a very useful medicine, lint its capability of 

 curing all diseases, many of them essentially differing in char- 

 acter, should be received; to say the least of it, with extreme 

 caution. One of the most Striking illustrations of modern folly- 

 is Ihe Blue Glass Mania, and from the window in Iron! of 

 which I am writing I count no less than five sashes of " I'lens- 

 ontou's humbug," and from which the owners are deriving 

 benefit : and no wonder -four of the invalids are hysterical 

 and the fifth always derives benefit from every new tiling lhat 

 comes out. and yet is always ailing. But I have forgotten that 

 canines ami not hysterical human beings form the subject of inv 

 article; and. thank Heaven ! we are not 1 roubled with hysteri- 

 cal dogs, nor do they demand Ihe chemical nihilities 1 which 

 would puzzle a Bacon, a I.iebig or a Faraday lo elueidale. lint, 

 docs not the modern journalist and reporter) of blue glass. 

 From Ibis il is not to be understood lhat. I am Opposed 10 the 

 introduction of new remedies ; on the contrary, 1 believe thai 

 he who discovers any new means, medicinal or otherwise, for 

 Ihe alleviation or cure of disease, whether in man or be t.-aud 

 stales Ihe same to his fellow-laborer's in the field of medicine in 



an open, fair and honorable manner, deserves the best thanks 



of the profession and the public. 1 would also urge that every 

 medicine which holds onl a fair promise, either from ils chemi- 

 cal composition or from its known physiological effects, or 

 winch emanates from a. respectable source, should receive a 



lair trial: but it should not be received with credulous sim- 

 plicity, be employed in diseases of extremely diversified char- 

 acter, nor be expected to act in turn as a Ionic, depressant, 

 stimulanl, sedative and diuretic. Vet such is the way that a 

 new medicine is too often received, and when it tails to fulfill 

 all the extravagant hopes which have been enteilaiiie.l of ii, 

 without further ceremony il, is I hrown aside as a failure. In 

 this manner 1 am convinced many really useful medicines have 

 been discarded, Being satisfied that Ihe medicine in question 

 possesses real medicinal virtues, it should be. employed cautious- 

 ly, noting with care its physiological effects and the amount of 

 benefit derived ill each ease. 'When il. has siioocded, in a 

 large number of instances, iu producing uniform benefit, il 

 may be classed as an established remedy. Nothing is more 

 fallacious than lo call a medicine a remedy for a disease on the 

 strength of one or two occasional successful terminations which 

 have" taken place uuder its use— terminations, perhaps, due 

 solely to Vh Medkulrix Naturae. 



P. S - I see m yourissue that a correspondent losl 11 ahiah 

 dog from a dose ot ttncliueol eanlharides. J ran mil. who sai/s 

 to tlw contrail/, the pmeli.ee of eidiainist. rimj the il.ru.; ,'„ ... .', .■• 

 to urUicipate nature ixjuruieuius. Cnnlhnridcs is very uncer- 

 tain as a medicine, and when given m doses sullieient lo pro- 

 duce aphrodisia [sexual excitement I is almost certain to act as 

 an irritant poison, causing imlammaliouof the intestinal canal. 

 of the urinary and genital Organs, and engorgement of brain 

 with Wood, and consequent death. 



. — •♦•— . 



Tun Svi:m 1 sr Bench Show.— .Judging from the reports 

 we receive from Mr. Lincoln, who is now installed at Syra- 

 cuse in his usual energetic prosecution of ils details, the dog 

 show to be bled in connection -with the annual Convention Of 

 the Slate Spoilsmen's 'Association promises 10 He a very bril- 

 liant affair. With the exception of the Hippodrome, no place. 

 says Mr. Lincoln, has he seen which is so well adapted for the 

 purposes as the Annory at Syracuse. The prize list, which 

 we have before printed, is on a very liberal scale, the amount 

 given in each of the sporting classes being $25 for dogs and 

 bitches respeeiively. The date or holding the show has now 

 been definitively fixedat the 19th, SOlh, 21st, and 23d of June, 

 just one day too long for the health or comfort of the dogs. 

 The rules and regulations are. the same as those which per- 

 tained to the bench show in this city. Hie special prize list is 

 not yet out. but three handsome prizes, valued at .fab each, 

 have' already been donated by the iVesminster Kennel Club. 

 to lie awarded to the best English. Irish, and Gordon setter 

 dogs m- bitches. Entries close on June 14. and must bead- 

 dressed I o Charles Lincorn, Superintendent. Syracuse. N. Y. 



Tennessee State Scoetsmex's Convention — Another 

 f)oo Show. — The Tennessee State Sportsmen's Association 

 has decided to give, as the champion stakes for the fall dog 

 exhibition, for braces and single, $350 to the first, slot) to the 

 second, and $100 to the third. In the pup stakes, $150 will 

 be given to the owner of the first, $100 to the second, and §50 

 to the third. The shooting tournament will occur during the 

 last three days of the week, three matches being had each day. 



Dog Foisoxeiw.— A correspondent writes us from ifliamus, 

 as follows : 



The dog poisoners are at work here. Within the last ten 

 days live as good hounds as ever ran a fox have been poisoned, 

 two owned bv Silas Morrell, two by Lew Morrell, and one by 

 Theodore Morrell. Is there any law that protects owners (if 

 dogs in this State? The dogs 'were nil kept in kennels and 

 chained, near the house of the owners. Whoever poisoned 

 them was obliged to come on the owner's land. Hoping you 

 will throw a hot. shot at the dog poisoners in your paper, and 

 confer a favor on a fellow sportsman, I remain yours, F. G. 



If the clog poisoners could be caught in the act, or even if 

 there could be sufficient evidence procured to convict them of 

 the poisoning, it would be sufficient. It is an exploded idea 

 that dogs are not property, and can be destroyed at will. '1 he 

 penalty for killing a dog would be as severe in proportion to 

 the value of the animal as for killing a horse, a cow, or any 

 domestic auimal. 



Pbiisonai..— Mr. Geo. De Forrest Grant, of the Westminster 

 Kennel Club, arrived from Europe on Saturday last by the 

 steamer City of Berlin, after an extended tour through India- 

 While in England Mr. Grant, looked at many line pointers, 

 and the kennels of the club will be reinforced within a few 

 weeks by some of the best blood iu England. 



The Home koi: Doos.— (in the last day of the dog show the 

 committee oj: the Westminster Kennel Club found themselves 

 iua rather embarrassing position. They were notified lhat their 

 lease expired at 1 3 o'clock on Thursday nigh!, and yet there was 

 no opportimfty of removing their dogs by that lime. Under 

 Ihese circumstances an extra day was inevitable; but to relieve 

 Iheniselvcs of all suspicion of a desire to make money out of 

 it, it, was decided to donate Ihe extra day's net proceeds 10 the 

 Society for the Prevention of Cruelly lo Animals. Hence the 

 correspondence which we print below: 



Westminstkk Kbnnel tin;, Sew York, May 21, ISJT. 

 Uemrv JJkkg ; 



M11 ttear ff# : At a ppeetul meeting or the Westminster Kennel Club, 

 It was resolved fast the net proceeds accruing to Uie etuli bom jul- 

 ttilgsiOfls in tlie l.fiieh Hhnwof ilnu's, hehl ic. Gttni.iie's Suytett, on May 

 11, Htiould he donated to the Soeletj for the Prevention of Cruelty to 

 Animals as a nucleus for a fund to provide a home and hospital lor 

 lost dud nick dosw. As President of the 'Westminster Kenuel Club I 

 have much pleasure in handing yon herewith the cheek of Che tieasurer 

 or Hi,' clan for H.MU.SS, us per following Statement : 



urns- receipts, Kralav, May 11 $2,7911 50 



I'uiil aitcndams, etc' .' PHI SO 



lhlance ...S-J,5Wf,u 



Kent of the i.inr.ten fo- that, day, as per agreement of Mr. 



Shook— viz., one half ol net proceeds ....}1,295 2a 



Balance $1,-295 k 



Trusting that, this small amount will lie sutnci.mtiy Increased by fur- 

 ther donations, bo as to enable you speedily lo carry out the object for 

 which it is intended, 1 remain, with respect and regard, 



At.FX. S. Webu. 

 In his reply ueUnowledging Ihe check Mr. Berg says : 

 This stciety has long regarded the subject 64 the removal from the 

 st reels 01 vibrant and ensemble dogs in one worthy of the intelligent 



leg! :, Hie city authorities, us well as 01 i tender cow flera ion ill 



the public, and it has always held its., If ready to co-operate with ail 

 liuniane and r .,aBonable measures iu that direction. But, liehevuuc 

 licit no diuuillcd and eltectnal meaus have hitherto ljeen adopted, It 

 Inn preferred lo bold Itself aloof therefrom, In the hope that at no dis- 

 that day the . uity fiovenrmenr would upprove ot the plan repeatedly 

 propoaed by this society for lire decent, abatement of the evil, la a 

 moral point of view alone, 1 lie community Cannot afford to tolerate a 

 cruel System of slaughter of any dumb creature, more especially the 

 rnillifiil aud companionable dog. It Is beit that the nutin.11 

 entertain Has subject also with a reference to its permanency; and it la 

 not a lutlo surprising tliat, yvhile evils of less magnitude have appro- 

 priate 1 bureaus of administration, tills oue has been loft to a tltful and 

 uuavatliug procedure, 



