100 a hand-book of the management of animals 



Treatment in sickness. 



Teething. — Young brown bears have been known to suffer from 

 teething. The animal when suffering from this ailment refuses food and 

 salivates a good deal ; if this continues for two or three days diarrhoea 

 supervenes. No specific treatment has ever been adopted in such 

 cases beyond giving milk and soup to support the strength of the 

 animal, and aromatic chalk powder to check the diarrhoea. 



Inflammation and ulceration of the lips are sometimes caused by an 

 ill-tempered animal, especially if it is new to the place, rushing against 

 the gratings of the den with violence, causing thereby slight abrasion of 

 the mucous lining of the lips which become swollen and inflamed. An 

 animal with such habits ought to have its cage so barricaded as to 

 prevent visitors coming too close. Lips when ulcerated may be touched 

 with weak solution of nitrate of silver or borax and honey. 



Diarrhoea and dysentery are not uncommon among these animals ; 

 bael in the several forms already mentioned (page 3), Dover's powder, 

 aromatic powder of chalk, are some of the medicines administered in 

 checking them. By way of diet the animal should have milk and bread, 

 soup and eggs if necessary. 



Constipation from various causes is also not unfrequent; in ordi- 

 nary mild cases 4 to 8 ounces of raisins will be found very effective ; 

 if, however, it is caused by hepatic disorders, 30 grains of chloride 

 of ammonium should be given in milk and sugar every morning until 

 a healthy system is attained. 



Ulceration of the throat and mouth, probably brought on by 

 exposure to chill and sudden change in the atmosphere, is a very 

 troublesome complaint, causing a great deal of suffering to the beast. 

 The animal when subject to this disease behaves as if something were 

 sticking in its throat; it constantly opens its mouth, protrudes its 

 tongue, and moves its head from side to side, indicating great discomfort 

 and pain. The difficulty of treating such cases consists in inducing 

 the patient to eat ; this, however, may be overcome by confining the 

 animal to milk diet alone for three or four days ; by way of medicine 

 chlorate of potash, 20 to 30 grains in each dose, may be administered 

 with sugar and milk three times a day, and the mouth touched with 

 weak lotion of nitrate of silver. These animals have been observed to 

 abstain from food, without any apparent illness, for three or four days. 



Observations on the habits of Brown Beaks. 



The European brown bears are rather slow in their movements, 

 and walk with measured steps, and though they often make a rush 

 towards the gratings of their den, as a Himalayan brown bear does 

 under similar circumstances, they appear to want the agility of the 

 latter ; this may, however, be due to the difference in their size and 

 bulk. Both the European and the Himalayan forms shed their winter 

 fur in March, and about this time they look much smaller than they 

 did a few days before when they had their winter coats on ; they are 

 very fond of water, and may, during the summer especially, be constantly 

 seen in their baths. They become somewhat noisy at the approach of 

 feeding time, and of the two varieties the European is perhaps more 



