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Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

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Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#3
Having been around wild leopards in Africa, and worked around nearly all the big cats - leopards scare me the most. A tiger or lion can be confused by unexpected behavior which can delay or slow an attack. Leopards are the most single-minded predator I've ever seen in action and the only equivalent I can think of is a great white shark. Leopards are relentless, ferocious and deadly.

I suspect Mr. Ackley's encounter was with a young or sick leopard, or perhaps the tale is exaggerated. An experienced adult would have dispatched with him in seconds.

Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#4

Having been around wild leopards in Africa, and worked around nearly all the big cats - leopards scare me the most. A tiger or lion can be confused by unexpected behavior which can delay or slow an attack. Leopards are the most single-minded predator I've ever seen in action and the only equivalent I can think of is a great white shark. Leopards are relentless, ferocious and deadly. I suspect Mr. Ackley's encounter w…

He did mention that he shot it twice before it reached him.

Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#6
I'm confused.

> That done, the antiseptic was pumped into every one of the innumerable tooth wounds until my arm was so full of the liquid that an injection in one drove it out of another

Isn't antiseptic applied topically not systemically, as they seem to be doing here by injection, and didn't antibiotics get developed later than this? I can't understand what they were injecting him with. Can anyone fill in my gaps, please.

Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#8
post #2

"Her intention was to sink her teeth into my throat and with this grip and her forepaws hang to me while with her hind claws she dug out my stomach, for this pleasant practice is the way of leopard".

It is fun to watch a fuzzy little kitten do exactly this when trying to savagely disembowel a stuffed animal.

Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#9

I'm confused. > That done, the antiseptic was pumped into every one of the innumerable tooth wounds until my arm was so full of the liquid that an injection in one drove it out of another Isn't antiseptic applied topically not systemically, as they seem to be doing here by injection, and didn't antibiotics get developed later than this? I can't understand what they were injecting him with. Can anyone fill in my gaps,…

Antiseptics and antibiotics are both classes of antibacterials, but yes, antiseptics can be delivered intravenously. At that time, they may have used something like iodine, penicillin or even carbolic acid.

Re: Carl Akeley’s fight to the death with a leopard (1923)

#10

I'm confused. > That done, the antiseptic was pumped into every one of the innumerable tooth wounds until my arm was so full of the liquid that an injection in one drove it out of another Isn't antiseptic applied topically not systemically, as they seem to be doing here by injection, and didn't antibiotics get developed later than this? I can't understand what they were injecting him with. Can anyone fill in my gaps,…

Antiseptic would just mean something like alcohol or iodine. Antiseptics became commonplace before antibiotics were discovered. (IOW, widespread acceptance of the germ theory of disease preceded discovery of antibiotics.)

I assume "injection" here is referring to something like a bulb syringe or pipette, neither of which pierce the skin but simply a way to extract and apply a liquid, e.g. antiseptic solution. Because presumably the tooth wounds were so deep, inserting the tip of the syringe into the open wound when applying could be described as injecting, especially in more florid prose.

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