OPERATION FOR CATARACT UPON TWO GRIZZLY BEARS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 622, 19 July 1851, Page 4

OPERATION FOR CATARACT UPON TWO GRIZZLY BEARS.

The Times contains an account singular operation for the cure of 8 Ve, J performed upon two bears i n t k B X Cata Uct Gardens, Regent’s bv' Kf Cooper, F.R.C.S. This, the\ serves, is the first known operation for 4 on the larger carnivora, and he Umar? 1 *' 1 ' 1 “ the objections which have hitherto ed this operation being performed on g'^ l, are, the presence of a powerful r i ""k muscle, which withdraws the eye with ” force into the orbit, and the Bupp ose i ? eat sity for artificial optical assistance aft cataracts have disappeared. The . action of the muscles of the lids be overlooked ; and, as regards the U lo prey, their formidable means of te J‘ f constituted another objection to anv ... for their relief.” y ilt W

The discovery of chloroform obviw many of these difficulties, as by j/ the eye is completely at the command oil operator. “■

The grizzly bears of the Rocky Mouufc are the largest, most powerful, and most L rociousof the bear tribe; and without h aid of chloroform it would be utterly sible to perform any delicate operation L them. As, however, two of the three L young bears recently added to the of the Zoological Society were blind aD j their value thereby greatly diminished,' Mr Mitchel, secretary to the Society, proposed to me to make an effort to restore them u sight. Dr. Snow having kindly undertakes the application of the chloroform, the first operation was performed on the sth of lasi November.

The patient having been separated from the other bears, a strong leathern collar and chain was fastened round his neck, and the chain being passed round one of the front barsol the cage, two strong men proceeded to pill him to it as a bullock is hauled to theshugt tering ring. The bear was the size of s young donkey, and his resistance was .quite remarkable ; for full ten minutes he set their efforts at defiance, and ultimately it wasoolj by the united strength of four men that he was placed in a position favourable for lit application of the chloroform. Dr. Scot endeavoured to hold a sponge to his nose, but it was only by fairly tying it to his mot zle that the object was attained. The dropping of the paws, with the cessation of hi roaring and struggles, told that he wash' sensible ; and the sponge being removed, b was laid with his head on a plank outside the den. A solution of atropine had been placed in the eyes on the previous evening, and the pupils were found fully dilated. The instrument used was a strong straight cutting needle. The extraordinary toughness and thickness of the cornea rendered the insertion of this difficult; and the lens was singularly large in proportion to the eye. This rendered the breaking up of that body by no mean! easy, and it occupied full a minute. The morning was dark, and the margin of the deep brown iris not distinctly seen, which led to its being wounded in one eye and bleeding freely. The cataracts having been thorough* ly destroyed the bear was drawn again iM the den. For some minutes he continued io a state of profound coma, giving scarcely oof evidence of life, but gradually recovered, ooi rising with some difficulty he staggered ioW his sleeping apartment. On my going den the following morning the door of IM dormitory was thrown open, and to my prise he came out with his eyes open, b cf the light without the slightest inconvenience and began licking his paws with perfect satts* faction. A dose of Rochelle salts was gij e ‘ him rather as a matter of precaution than 6 cause they were needed, and his recovery * aS rapid, hot one red vessel discolouring the c Oll junctiva at any time. The operator then describes a similarly Bo cessful operation on the other young bear.

The Fair in Hyde Park. The hibition in the Crystal Palace will be sure have plenty of female visitors ; for the a will be naturally attracted by the gl ass * Punch’s Almanack.