Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-05-25

| Courier:
Mary Ann, Negro Woman, was bit
ten or the index finger of the right hand,
ia the month of February last, byasmail
| log, supposed to be mad. No attention
/ vas paid to the wound; it healed very
! readily, and her health remained good
! anti the last day of April, when sue com
/ planned of slight pains in her boans. No
| notice was taken of her indisposition IN
til the night of the first of May, when
from circumstances, it was suspected
| that II : dro phebia was be inning TO nan
fest itself A physician who was called
in, determined that the opinion was un
fortunately too correct Any attempt
oy the unhappy patient to swallow fluids,
was attended by an insuhersble sense of
suiocation, and even without water be-
! ing offered, or any apparent exciting
| cause existing, she would at intervals,
be attacked by aspasmodic astIictIon of
the " ndplpe, SO severe a. TO suspend
| res piratlon for few moments. Ian.
guage cannot convey an idea of the ag-
onies experienced at these periods. tie:
countenance was horribly distorted; her
limbs thrown convulsively in every di
rection; and her only exclamation was
air "aH,' "more air" The disease
continued 10 increase, and by midday
of the ID May, the paroxysms of sutto-
cation were much more frequent and
excited by The slightest cause. Moving
a blanket in the room, admitting little
more light than usual, permitting the air
to come through the window, or the
mere name of any thing fluid, produced
the NEST exquisite suffering A slight
shower of rain. by the effects produc ed
from the pattering of the water, nearly
caused her dissolution. The saliva,
which from the first she could not swal-
| low, was now rrofusely secreted and
every attempt to spit it out, brought on
a repetition of her spasms. During this
period she could swallow solid food with
out the slightest difficulty, and would,
| without hesitation, eat bread mols'ened
with water. The sight of wine, milk,
or any other fluids produced effects SIM
liar to those described above. With the
exec otion of the symptoms already men
toned, there was now no noticeable de-
Walton from healthy state. Her mus |
cular powers we re good, her pulse and
tongue natural, and Der intellect unlm-
paired. The night of the I'd May, was
not as distressing as might have been
expected, the paroxysms being at more
distant intervals, and the patient suth-
ciently composed to offer up supplica-
tons for pardon to that Omnipotent
Being into whose presence she was con-
scIous that few hours would usher her.
Early in the morning of the sd May,
Ler disease became more severe; the
energies of her system tagging, it was
determined to wait the issue of a few
hours, and should not relief be obtain
ed, as a dernier resort, to form an arti.
fetal opening in the wind-pipe. At ele-
ven, of the same day, when the opera
ton was to be performed, she was SO
much better thatit was determined to-
wait until in TIE afternoon, at Q, her
distress was so much abated, that she |
drank nearly hall a pint of milk, and ate
some rice; her pulse being determined
by the stop watch, was exactly the
healthy standard. This calm was only
deceptive: for, few moments before |
three she had several severe attacks of
the sense Of sufiocation, and died sud |
denly.
Upon examination OF the body the de- |
viations from the healthy appearances
were not discernable, except that at
the upper part of the wind pipe and
guilet, there was very slight enfl;ra-
ton of blood; indeed, so slight as scarce
ly to merit Notice. The stomach was
also contracted about its middle: the
inner coat in g minute spot or two, a
BRAIDED. The treatment adopted was
the use Of sugar of lead in large doses,
and the liberal administration of opium.
The remedies although dealt with the
freedom required in the treatment of so
malignant an affection, were productive
of no apparent effect on the system
The object of this sketch is forcibly to
remind the public, that many persons
during the past season, have been in
jured by rabid ami ais, who may re-
main in q state of false security, from !
an impression, that as the wound is we'll, /
there is no danger that the animal could
not have been mad. This is not only an
erroneous but mischievious idea, for
the poison will remain inactive tor
months; and atno period of time pre-
viously to the development of the dis
ease, it is too late to introduce preven-