Page 40 - Danny Mike Chaisson, Belle Cote

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

He learned more after he got married. But you couldn't fool him on figures. And he could read a book, but I don't suppose he'd pronounce half a dozen words of what he'd read. He'd tell you what it's about. (Your mother, she had education.) Yeah, she had Grade, I suppose, 6 or 7 or 8. So she did most of the bookwork.... But he had a trade besides that. Many's the time my mother gave him a going-over. He'd spend a lot of his nights on the road when he should have been resting, you know, be? cause he was a stonemason, a hard worker. And he should have been resting.... (As a veterinarian, what would you do?) Well, I'd try and find out how the animal acted, and try and make up my mind what was wrong with her. And then, I read. Af? ter being around with my father, and read? ing, I got so I could doctor an animal. To a certain extent. I wasn't a veterinarian, but in lots of cases I would have (suc? cess) - -probably the same my father did. I saw some things that veterinarians did that I wouldn't agree to. Certain opera? tions or things, you know. They made mis? takes the same as I did or my father--the other fellow. (Did you have medicines?) Oh, yes. Well, it was all prepared--stuff that you'd get from Raleigh or from different companies. It was pretty well written on the directions what it was good for and how to administer it. (Did you take anything from the woods?) No. I remember in some days there was--just be? fore my time, or even when I started grow? ing up--some people had certain things they got from the woods, that they'd use for medicine. Now, the spruce--they'd take the bark off spruce and soak it in hot water. And then after awhile they'd strain that, and that was used for some medi? cine. (To drink, or to put on?) To drink, to drink. (What would that be good for?) Oh, gosh if I know what. In my days I didn't use that. We always bought the prepared medicine when I did some veterinary work.... (And did you have to come when cows were going to give birth?) Oh, yes. I think that was probably the first start I had, was in that. Because my father had been in that, and they thought I should be able to do it too. (What were some of the things you had to do?) Ha! Get the calf out! Some way or other. And sometimes, you know, with some help, and dis? lodging the calf, they'd get the calf out. Which probably on their own would never. (And did you perform op? erations?) Oh, yeah. Probably more than I should have. Probably if the right party had got me, I'd have been hung. (What kind of operations did you perform?) I bled horses--take about, probably a quart of blood out of them. (What was that good for?) Well, if an animal was rundown.

Cape Breton's Magazine