Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-07-04
From. fae PeterSJurgh Intelligence.
HYDROPHOBIA,

On Wednesday the ssrd Of March last, COM
menced in the county Of Meckienburg, Virginia,
one Of the most appalling, heart.rending, soul
affecting scenes that has occurred in modern
times. A scene which exhausted the tears OF
grief, tortured. the feelings of friendship, ava
kened aud enlisted the sympathy Of spectators,
and aroused even stoical indifference from ITS cal
I'lous lethargv. Sad and tragic as it vas yet, 1t
should be told; that the living may take warning,
use care and precaution: and that the virtuOus
qualities of the meritorious, but unfortunate VIC
! tim may be recorded, as they have been embalm-
: ed in the memory and affections Of his acquain-
tances. On that woful day, Hope, the last friend
of mortal man, became discOnsolate, and was van
qulshed; and the awful realities of Dread and
Fear, in full array came forth the unwelcome har~
bingers Of the grim monster Death!
On that day, Mr.. LUCAS DRUMRIcHT, aged
twenty four years, was attacked by the paralizing
symptoms Of Hydrophobia. He was bitten. on
the 29,h Of December 1880. by dog OF his fa-
theirs: the two wounds inflicted by the dog were
situated between the two f1eXOr muscles OF The
hand; (pulmars longus and flexor carpi uluaris:)
the one about two inches from the articulation Of
the hand and forearm, and the other, two thu e.
inches above it. The last mentioned wound was
.deepi having been made by the fang Of a bull
dog.
! Both of the wounds were cauterised ;'onion and
salt, in the form of cataplasn. were applied for
some days; and the wounds healed in about three
weeks. At the time he was bitten, his cOnstitu-
ton was unimpaired by disease: and health with
all its endearments continued his welcome COM
panion, until assalIcd by the unconquerable and
he undertook To- learn Young nag to plough,
4 hichn cfn md IL NIL IN
the undertaking was arduous and laborious; his
exertions were great, and he sustained several Sc
we're falls and jerks. He suffered some restle-
ness at night and loss Of appetite for several days:
bat nothing serious was apprehended until the
evening of the 25r.l, when he became more Sc
vercly afflicted; complaining principally Of
numbness in his head, and dull heavy feeling
all over; he desisled from labor, retired, and
hoped to find relief from rest, which he sought
| IN vain, the night being spent by him with much
residences. great anxiety. and deep sighiEg. On
the morning Of the cath he felt great thirst, had
high fever, complained of an aching, stiffness,
in the neck and body: vet he could eat and
drink whatever he chose without difficulty. He
would occa sonally doze, but start up as if alarm
ed frightened; roll from one side Of the bed to
the other; and complain of soreness in his breast
and shoulders, with difficulty of breathing. -
Medica! aid having been caIedin, the physicians
arrived about eight o'clock A. NJ. A large dose
Of submurias of mercury with scammony was
given, which operated well; the discharges were
bilious, not very offensive, but quite watery: his
pulse from the first of his comp planning became
irregular, and his skin hot and dry. After the
operation Of cathartic, great heat, thirst, numb.
ness and residences, with pain in his neck and
head ensued. His right temporal artery was then
openeh whicd afforded some temporary relief, He
slept for nearly two hours, when he awoke the
other temporal artery at his request was opened;
which produced little or no alteration for the
better: his difficulty of breathing upon the pre-.
sentaton Of liquids, diet or polished metals, con-
tinued to increase. About twelve o'clock he was
without fever; but there was jerk and quick
ness about the pulse which very much resembled
mercuriai or hectic pulse: two grs. opii and
ten grs. caomel were gwen. About one O'Clock
P. NJ. there appeared to be considerable de-
termination to the larger vessels; his heart beat
strong, pulse irregular. cold clammy sweats, with
great anxiety. He asked for some custard, which
when shewn him, produced unpleasaf e9ensations;
but by much persuasion he swallow wed tea spoon
full with great difficulty. Every ten or fifteen mi
nues violent agitatons or fits almost suffocatcd
him to death; the violence Of which increased If be
saw water, heard it poured out or spoken of, to
v1dthe sight and hearing Of which, he would thru
his head under the sides Of the bed, and request
that it be removed from bis sight and hearing
His breath became very fetid, his tongue Very
much swollen and Of blush color; though not !
much fur on it only about the root which was of
a dark green. About two o'clock P. NJ the |
wounds were cut open and pieces trimmed out;
seton put in the back of his neck; both of which
operations he sustained without complaint. There
being considerable torpidity about his bowels, an
injection was given, and about eight O'Clock p. |
Nj. he had two excavations in The space of TWEEN |
ty minutes which reduced his pulse from sixty
to forty-five beats in a minute, the other symp. |
toms continued without alteration: gave hun two |
yrs. Of Opii. which rendered him more quiet. In |
the course Of the night the wind blew more vio-
lently, which greatly annoyed him; he rested bad
", the symptoms became stronger, his pupils di.
ated, his pulse fluctuating and inermitting, the
pain and soreness in his neck and limbs, and the
swelling his tongue continued to increase; respi.
'ation became more difficult, but lie continued
,ationa!; with an increase of the violence of the
and of thirst, though he would en.reat
hat water might not be offered or shewn to him
Until the wind abated: he expressed great de.