From the August 21, 1881 Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

“St. Louis Republican –One of the two alligators at Benton Park was sunstruck yesterday–the first case of the kind on record, but as it was officially reported by the park commissioner it will will not be denied. The alligator turned over in his back, and popped out his eyes, and showed other unmistakable symptoms of sunstroke. The park keeper says it was a clear case. He had read of the way sunstruck patients are treated at the city dispensary, but he had neither ice nor ice water with him, and as it was a bad case, one that required immediate treatment, he pulled out his brandy bottle and gave Mr. Alligator a big dram. The effect was wonderful. The patient flopped over on his belly again, and swam off seemingly as happy as a big hungry catfish among a lot of little minnows. This is one of the pet alligators recently donated to the city by Democratic Gus, the saloon keeper on Seventh and Chouteau avenues, and it is said he was raised on the bottle.”