Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/752

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��Popular Science Monthly

��patients have recovered sufificiently to take exercise they are allowed the privilege of a specially designed roof- garden, but only for the number of hours prescribed by the doctor.

Because of their size and weight, the handling of wounded or sick horses has always presented a difficult problem. That problem has been most admirably solved in the hospital of the American Society. As soon as a horse has met with an accident in the street a police- man or the driver immediately sends for one of the A. S. P. C. A. ambulances. A big automobile ambulance responds, and the ambulance surgeon gives what aid he can. The running-board of the ambulance is drawn out. It is but the work of a minute to rope the horse's feet. At a given signal the ambulance attendants pull the ropes, thereby turn- ing the horse over, so that he lands on the running-board. He is then firmly strapped to the board, and an electric motor inside the ambulance hauls the running-board back into place. While on his w^ay to the hospital the horse is as com- fortable as possi- ble. When the am- bulance reaches the hospital it is driven on a large elevator which takes it up to the top floor, where the operat- ing room is situ- ated. If the horse is unable to walk, a sling is passed around him while he is still attached to the running- board. The sling Is then fastened to a trolley which leads into the op- erating room. He is laid upon the table without once having had to make the effort to stand.

When the ani-

���A view in one of the wards. The horse which the surgeon is dressing was seriously wounded by backing into a large steel hook which tore through the flesh of his tail and came out over his hip. He is a valuable cavalry horse and is the favorite mount of one of our colonels. Although his injuries were such that he had to submit to an operation, he will soon be back doing what he can for preparedness

��mal's wounds have been dressed, he is trolleyed out of the operating room and into the ward and placed in one of the stalls. A horse which cannot stand is slung up and kept in the sling until he regains the use of his feet. The operating table is fascinatingly ingenious. The horse is made to recline on a cushioned frame. Although per- fectly comfortable he is so firmly strapped in the frame that he cannot hurt himself by kicking or struggling. The table can be raised or lowered by a lever, so that the surgeon may perform his work as easily and as expeditiously as possible.

Dr. T. S. Childs, the surgeon at the head of the hospital, has performed some remarkable operations on horses. One of his charges was a famous racer which had fractured the bone above the hoof. When the horse was placed on the operating table Dr. Childs found that the bone was so badly fractured that it had penetrated the skin; aside from being broken the animal's leg was badly lacerated by the bone. Part of the bone had to be removed, after which the leg was set. The leg was then placed in a plaster cast in which a small hole was left for drain- ingthewound. The patient was sup- ported in a sling but he appeared so unhappy that the doctor allowed him the liberty of a large box stall, one of the hospital's "private rooms." There he finally re- covered. This horse was very in- telligent and seem- ed to realize that everything was be- ing done for his comfort. He took the best of care of

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