Miscellaneous.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 1

Miscellaneous.

Medicine as practised by Animals. — JYlecti cine, as practised by animals, is thoroughly empirical, but the same may be said of that practised by inferior human races, or, ir other words, by the majority of the humar species. Animals instinctively choose sucl food as is best suited to them. A large number wash themselves and bathe, as elephants, stags, birds, and ants. In fact, man may take a lesson in hygiene from the lower animals. Animals gee rid of tbeii parasites by using dust, mud, clay, &c. Those suffering from fever restrict theii diet, keep quiet, seek dark and airj places, drink water, and sometimes plunge into it. When a dog has lost its appetite it eats that species of grass known as dog's grass chindent, which acts as emetic and purgative. Cats also eai grass. Sheep and cows, when ill, seek out certain herbs. An animal suffering from chronic rheumatism always keeps as far as possible in the sun. Warrior ants have regularly organised ambulances. Latreille cd the , antennas of the ant, and other ants ' came and covered the wounded part with a r transparent fluid becreted from theii mouths. ' I,f a chimpanzee be wounded it stops the bleeding by placing its hand on the wound, or dressing it With leaves and grass. > When an animal has a- wounded leg or arm hanging on 1 , it completes the amputation by means of his teeth. A, dog, on being' Stung in the muzzle by a viper, was observed to plunge its head repeatedly foi several days into running water. This animal l eventually; .reoovered. A sporting dog was run over Jsy a carriage. During three weeks in winier it remained lying in a brook, where ' its food was ■ taken te it. The animal recovered. A terrioi hurt its right eye. It remained lying under a counter, ' avoiding light ana heat although it habitually kept close to the fire. It adopted a general treatment, rest and abstinence from food. The local treatment consisted in licking the uppei surface of' the paw, which it applied to the wounded eye, again licking the paw when it became dry. Animals suffering from tvaumatic fever treat themselves by the continued application of cold, more certain than any of the other methods. In view ol these interesting , facts, . we . are , forced to » admit that hygiene and therapoutics, as practised by animals, may, in the interost of pyschology, be studied with advantage.' Veterinary, medicine, , and perhaps , human medicine could 1 gather from them useful indications, precisely becauae they are promoteH by^jnstinet, , which are efficacious, in the preservation or restoration of health. -

A reporter wrote :— *'\Di».» Jonei» ( ffnd his ' wife were present, dreesed in white tulje." Rather a peculiar costume for a doctor., ',