Page 41 - Danny Mike Chaisson, Belle Cote

ISSUE : Issue 54

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1990/6/1

apparently the blood--I saw my father doing that. He would take a quart or more of blood out of an animal. And in 10 minutes after, you'd put it on your hand and just in one-- it was just in a lump. And you'd throw it out, and there were no more signs of blood (on your hand) than there is today. (I don't understand that. Say that again. Your father would take some blood from an animal.) Leave it. You know, just while they were talking. Leave it in the bucket. After awhile you could pick that up. It would kind of gel. And you'd take it up in your hand, and you'd throw it out. And there wasn't any more sign of blood on my hand than there is today. (And was that a sign that the animal was sick?) Well, it was a sign that there wasn't much good red cells, you know, when you wouldn't even have the colour of blood on your hand. That's what I made out. (So by bleeding the animal, if he was run? down- -then, how long would it take that animal to perk up?) Oh, I've seen some of them in 3 weeks, a month--you'd never know the same animal. Of course, they wouldn't work for that length of time. But in 3 weeks time, I've seen some animals--the same animal--if you had a picture in both cases, you wouldn't know that it's the same animal in this world. (The bleeding helped them that much.) Oh, well, yes. (And where would you take the blood from?) From the vein here, in the neck. You put a string just above their shoulder. And this vein'd come out. (Oh, you put the string all the way around his neck.) And there's a set of fleems here (in the house). Fleem-- what they call fleems--to bleed. It's a rig--it's like a knife with a little blade attached to it. And that was sharp as any? thing. And you'd put a string on their neck to bring out the vein, and you'd tap that with this, and the blood would come out. You'd get a, oh, gallon or so of blood. (Would you also bleed cows?) No. It was good, also, for blood poisoning. I've seen horses--driving a nail in their hoof, and (got) blood poisoning from it. (So you would draw some blood then.) Draw some blood. If a veterinarian'd hear me today, he'd say I'm crazy, but there's no matter. (But you don't think you're crazy.) Well now, I'm not sure yet! (And you think it worked.) Yes, yes, it worked. ' LIIVIITED (Did you do any other kinds of operations? Did you go into the animal to get something out?) Oh, well, sometimes. CKmnia , p'inny Mike's daughter: Yes, Daddy. Remember with the hose. You know, when the horses ate small apples.) Those days, people fed a lot of turnips to animals--cows. Now, the worst thing you could do was to cut a turnip. Most times they cut a turnip, or even a big beet, they wouldn't cut it right. Cut it all in kind of triangle shapes. And they'd go to swallow--you know, a cow has only one set of teeth. They wouldn't chew it, they'd swallow it. And the first thing, they'd have one of those in their throat. We fed hundreds of barrels of turnips, for a num? ber of years, and we never cut one. (Ah-- gave it to them round.) Round. And they'd start--you know, just scraping it, like. You know, we started with big turnips, to make sure they couldn't start to swallow it. And we fed--I remember having a hundred barrels of turnips here in the fall, and fed every one that way. But, every other day--my father before me, and I after that--you'd get a call to go and see an animal that had a piece of tur? nip or a big potato in their throat. Well, I had a hose--I suppose it's down here yet--hose about that long. Two and a half, three feet. And I had a piece of wood to make kind of a handle with. And then, you have to get that out. If you couldn't--if it was a big piece that you got inside of their mouth, you probably could sometimes get it out. But, usually you had to push it down. There's a hose around here yet. 110 Reeves St. SYDNEY, N. S. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS "Serving Cape Breton Over 35 Years" SPECIALIZING IN: • INDUSTRIAL • COMMERCIAL • INSTITUTIONAL • RESIDENTIAL • WIRING CONTRACTORS • MAINTENANCE SERVICE • ELECTRIC HEATING SYSTEMS • FREE ESTIMATES 562-1132 FAX 526-1699 Sydney Lobster Supper Inc. Located Dovimto'vn at the Sydney Curling Club 619 George Street • 539-931S Spetialiaing in Lobster Suppers with aU the Mussels or Choifirder you can eat Homestyle Baking Delicious Desserts • FULLY LICENSED • Luncheon Menu - Alternate Menu AMPLE PARKING • BANQUET FACIUTIES . OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 12 Noon to 10 P.M. • May 11 to September 30 <> Your Hostess and Hosts Marie Landry & Walter Crane

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