SURGERY AT THE ZOO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19239, 1 August 1924, Page 5

SURGERY AT THE ZOO.

OPERATKINS ON REPTILES. Many people visiting the London Zoological Gardens are unaware of the amount of care the animals receive, says a correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. Each individual is under daily observation, and every morning a sick list is made out and the patients receive skilful treatment and many good recoveries—that is, ail except the reptiles, which have for the most part- been excluded from this routine. Nothing is known of reptilian disorders, and these creatures suffer severe nervous upset if moved from the cages to which they have grown accustomed; the result is usually hunger strikes, followed by death, wliich is recorded as “inanition” by the baffled doctors. It has recently been found, however, that if these idiosyncrasies are allowed for and the patients nursed in their proper surroundings a great deal can bo done for them. Canker of the jaw, conjunctivitis, bronchitis, and skin diseases are now successfully treated, mul lately several surgical operations have been tried with encouraging results. The first serious operation was upen a 10-foot python, which had three abcesses in its body cavity. These were opened up, irrigated, and properly dressed, the python at the same time being given a soothing mixture by mouth. It was quite docile in behaviour, and is now completely cured. Another patient was a green mamba, a deadly poisonous tree-cobra rarely seen in captivity. This could not be tackled in the usual way, as the snake is quick and irritable, and the slightest bite from it causes death in a man. Incidentally the trouble was an abcess in the lower jaw. A suede and rubber contrivance for holding it and a specially designed operating box-theatre were therefore invented by the curator of reptiles by which any snake, no matter how poisonous, can be operated upon or examined with ease. It works very well, and the mamba made a good recovery from this trouble, but has nowdied of congestion of the lungs.