Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-07-11
FRAN fAr \. imericdd.

E
The history Of tine ease Of hydrophobia which
Won noticed in your paper Of Monday, and Of which
yoJrcqucstrd an account, is is follows ~ son
Of Mr. Lowell, OF Barrow street, WAS bitten Sc
yrrty in the check By Il fabd doc, about two
month, since. The wound VIZ carefully washed
with salt WATER aud had nearly all healed, wlien
symptoms Of the disease appeared on lucNdaN al
ielnoon last. The oiiild seemed dro"sy, and
disincncd to motion. His father administered tour
trains of caonlcl, and on " ednesday morning cal
led in DR.. Pond. The disease was now rapidly de-
'eiopcd. The patient WIS totally unable to swal-
low fluids aud tie mere sieht or sound OF water
threw him into extreme agitation aud apaslns
The rcstlcssncss was extreme, and The eye CLASSY
aud startling. The utmost fear and terror were
depicted in his placid conuteaanoc and at the sight
of the water in the bathing tub, the expression of
horror was altogether indesrrlbabie. At the re-
quest of his father, however, the luIe fellow res
ouicly walked up 10 il, anl suffered himself 10 br
immersed without opposition. His breathing WAS
fcal', and interrupted b. frequent sohs and sg'ls
and lac talked almost necessarily. !ils mind seem
cd perfectly undstarhed, and he ANSWERED. qurs-
tioas that were put to him IN rational and cohc-
rent manner When asked by the writer whether
he would have a little water, he Sluddcrcd and said
No. he could not swallow He was inclined
TO SIT up in bed, and if requested 10 lie down and
attempt 10 sleep, he wouldobeN instantly, but I'M
mcdiatclN start up again il II was impossible 10
kecpa rccumhont position for moment. lie
made no attempt 10 bite, neither did he utter any
sound which could be compared with the whinine or
barking of a doe. His head vas permanently
drawn forwards, his elm tesiae on his chest, and
from constant m1ion his >kin considerably Hbra-
ded.-Dming 'hc Gr,t twenty four hours after the
attack, the pulse VA, full and the skin prctcrnatu-
lally hot; the tongue almost natural in appearance,
lhoueh one side of il was swollen.-N times he
picked at the bed cothe, and saw trightfu objects
about the room, Is is common IN deijiiHM NtmcHS,
Il Circumstance quite unusual, far as we can
leain, in this disease. Ills motions continued
quick and couNusive; agitation extremely great,
and his whole appearance expressive of the most
intense suffering The vapor bath was employed
on Thursday forenoon, with the effect of produ-
cling Precipitation, bat no decided alienation of any
of the symptoms. lis application was attended
with much uncasincsS and agitation, and the SrnSa-
tons caused by the contact OF the hot Vdpor with
tie skin, we're evidently painful. The patient was
kept IN IT about three quarters Of an hour, without
any relaxation OF the spasns mitigation of any
prominent symptom. The inability to swallow
fluids continued unll Friday, when he took n..le
milk, ANA IN the afternoon some coiiecC. The idea
OF swallowing water seemed to a9itdtc him more
dian that ofanv other luid. Ills pulse grew more
na,.nrn;n, III. ',.,. ,,a ,ar, ,iII ,l, '.,r,
'uonnnI orI,i. Jnaa, Ill, ,. ,l,r,,to ',.Iaci
~, Er,I,v yo,i,a ,5,L, ,,,. ,.,,,.,,,,, .,,,n,,
t;oo o, ,nn,u. or ,,,,l,on,. ,.I4cI, Lo r.,.,,,,l
Spl up, and which evidently WAS obstacle to free
r,,oir,rion. well as ,vallo.yioa.. Tho treatment
which was hiolv iudicioiis We need not detail. a,
Il was unsuccessful. Ii may not he imprnper
however, to state generally dat he was blcd ON
"Wednesday evening, 10 about eight ounces, and
had a don ~ lccches applied To the throat The
E warm and vapor baths were both cmpfoyrI and
an attempt made to induce mercurial action, which,
however. failed The bowels were torpid throuoh-
out the wloIt disease.
, From po>t-mortcm examination Of two cases,
and close Observance oil the symptoms during life,
we venture to suggest the following plan Of treat
menr, as best calculated, IN our opinion to arrest
the disease. As the pathology oth} drophobia con-
sists of an intense inflammation of the mcduHa OBJ
iagataud spinal marrow, We would blcc ad dill
GIN Al as early period rs possible, and employ the
vapor bath as AN auxiliary. The bleeding must
be repeated as soon as reaction produces Spasns
and the other symptoms common to this disease :;
andrcchrS TO the back of the neck and spine would
doubtless be useful. We believe that all depends
on the treatment during the first two three hours,
and one reason why remedial measures have not
proved more often successful, IS, that they have
not been sufficiently prompt, or carried far
enough. In the Philosophical Transactions
for 1853, case of hydrophoba is reported by
Mr. Hartley, which WIS cured by the abstraction
oi l2O ounces of blood in the course of IA few
DAYS: and in the Historical Magazine for 1902