Sanborn, E.R., 1908. Interesting animal surgery. Bulletin of the New York Zoological Society 30: 432-433, fig. 1
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| Location: |
Captive - North America |
| Subject: |
Diseases |
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Indian Rhino |
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New York Zoo - Rhinoceros unicornis. On 28 May 1908, an interesting and unusual operation was performed on our Indian Rhinoceros ?Mogul' by Dr George G. van Mater, of Brooklyn, for cataracts in both eyes. The operation is termed ?needling' and is primarily a rupturing of the crystalline lens, allowing the humor to escape into the anterior or aqueous humor, where a process of absorption takes place. A cataract is not, as most people suppose, a growth over the ball of the eye, but a gradual change of the humor in the crystalline lens to a milky opacity, eventually destroying the sight. Mogul was captured in 1906 and upon arrival in the park, it was noticed that the right eye had been injured. Gradually the defect communicated itself to the left eye, in time rendering the animal nearly blind.
Mogul was cast, by means of combination side line and hobbles, with considerable difficulty, requiring the united aid of Drs. Blair, Ryder and Ellis, and a number of the keepers, to effectually subdue him. Dr Hwathmey administered the anesthetic, using a mixture of chloroform and ether. Fully an hour elapsed before the animal succumbed, exhausting in its struggles 1 ? pounds of chloroform and 3/4 pound of ether. As is quite well known, the eye is the surgeon's index of the patient's condition under anesthetics, and as this was the point of operation, it was then necessary to resort to local anesthesia, rendering Dr Gwathmey's task a difficult one. Dr Van Mater then punctured both capsules with a delicate knife of peculiar and ingenious construction. The incision in the cornea was a thin slit, but after penetrating the front of the crystalline lens, the blade was turned in the handle, as it was drawn back, making a T shaped cut, which allowed the humor to flow into the anterior chamber. The blade then being turned back on its axis necessarily passed through the cornea in exactly the same place as it entered, effectually preventing the thin humor of the anterior chamber from escaping. The operation was bloddless and painless. The animal, despite the enormous amount of anesthetic taken, was standing upon his feet within 40 minutes after the operation. He is recovering the use of the left eye. The right one, being an advanced growth, is yet cloudy. The work consumed nearly three hours.
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Interesting animal surgery
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