The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-22

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Canans Madness.
uWx10zN0 CASE AT ATHENS, oRxKCu-sxw NODE
4 OF TREATMENT DIsC0vE1ED. s5t 3 &
The following letter has been received BY the
Secretary Of the Interior; and. In accordance With
is Recommendation, the whole matter Is laid before
the public through the medium Of the NEW YORK
HERALD. rsf4s.
Nh. HILL TO TIE SECRETARY or TIE INTERIOR.
~ s@' ATHENS, July l, 1851.
Sn--The accompanying memoir has been drawn
upatny request BY the learned gentleman whose
name n appended to It. For the interests Of suffer
ing humanity think 1t should be circulated as ex-
tsnsivsly - possible. II it be true that remedy
20 simple and 20 accessible that suggested In the
memoir he's been found against that most terrific
dseaae, canine madness, surely no time should be
lost tn making II known to the world. His Excel
lency, tho British Minister here was 30 much struck
with the facts contained in the recital to under
take TO send copy Of the same to Sir James Clark,
physician ID chief to the Queen, and no doubt the
remedy suggested viii be efectually tested in Eng
land. In selecting your Department as the medium
OF communication, my object 10 to give greater
weight to the facts stated than IL the account were
to appear, unsupported by evidence in an ordinary
newspaper. have been long and intimstely &C
quainted with DR.. Chairetes, and know him 70 be
. man Il learning and high standing. have no
hesitation, therefore, In guaranteeing the accuracy
Of all his statements In the accompanying memoir.
Mmay not be amiss TO note that the idea which un,
happily seized the unfortunate man when the gems
0afmes suddenly appeared before him, viz, that
they intended TO poison him. was not by auv n1eaua
Unusual. There Is on ides-which prevails to
f Ses. extent among the common people-that the
euuereia may De lawfully made away with, in mer-
cy TO them and ss q safety to others. am very
much afraid that this poor mans fears were ulti
but that he was left to perish mserably, az others
under similar circumstances have persisted in for
mer days, to my knowledge.
have the houor to be, With great respect, your
To the Honorable Alex. H. H. Stuart Secretary Of
the Home Department.
Extract from the medical notes OF Dr. A. Chaire
ts, Inspector Of the Royal Botanic Garden near the
city Of Athens, in Greece
On the 10th of February, 1851, gardener of
Athens, named Anastase Sambanis OF about 55 or
60 years Of age, was bitten by mad dog, in the
middle finger of the left hand, between the first and
second joint. Pursuing the therapeutic method
practised in similar cases amongst the people, the
patient applied to the wound, burnt hair (plucked
from the same dogJ burned tho dog, and stepped
three time, over the ashes and finally drank Of the
plant called "Phaperomeae," and believing himself
cured. returned to his WORK. without any anxiety
from the accident, and RENAME in perfect health
until the 18th OF the following May.
On the morning Of that day, he telt at first, gene
raj uneasiness, afterwards disagreeable num5ness
commencing precisely at the bitten place, already
Cicatrized, and sensibly advancing throughout the
arm. It was then only, that he began to have any
apprehensiOns.
During the morning Of the goth, ne began to ex.
perience an aversion TO wster Che expressed this
aversion, by saying, cannot endure tue air of the
water;"l towards mid. day, he called in two physi-
clans, who had no difficulty in recognizing the mad
ness, by this infalable symptom of hydrophobia.
They prescribed, believe, calomel with belladoaa,
which the patent Swallowed but afterwards reject
ed, mixed with bile.
At about O'Clock on the morning of the 3Oth,
while passing his house, was invited by his son
to visit him. When he and his wife had flushed the
account already given, which was sufficient to con-
vince me Of his condition, offered the patient
glass Of water, which he took, and carried with
eagerness to his mouth; but scarcely had the liquid
touched his lips, when sudden convulsion made
him thrust away the glass in spite of the efforts
You see, sir said he to me, splitting necessarily,
call il over with lei" reassured him, as far as
was able, BY appealing to his faith as Christian,
ana 70 1eancs rpon dyne S ana
But this time. scarcely had he taken the glass in
his hand, and fixed his eyes upon it, when violent
spaam threw every part OF his head into violent con-
vplsions. fastened TO remove from his sight the
object Of his terror, and required to pious consola
ticas, without falling to preniso him al the aids of
VITA this object. had brought to me, from the
Botanic Garden, young sprouts Of common aspara-
gus, ssprge o6cu0l, of the weight Of two ounces
or thereabouts, which began Immediately to make
him eat, one after the other. Degluttion was AZ
CONTINUAL ptynlism embarrassed still more But this
difficulty gradually disappeared aud in the space Of
on hour the patient freely swallowed the remainder
Of the two ounces Of asparagus.
49, 1~Ak <n1n hluu uuoAo fko h0vy
directed his wife toprovide him with plenty of az
paragus, and to make him take IL a. his only medi
cine, - well q his entire nourishment l recon-
mended him, in the meantime, not to neglect his
Three hours Afterwards returned to the patient
and found him quiet, for the reason, as he imme-
diately told me himself that he had slept two hours,
the two preceding nightsl and also felt the numb
ness Of his arm greatly diminished. again pro.
posed TO him that he should take little water. He
answered that he had felt no thirst since eating the
asparagus, and that ne did not like to expose him
self 70 change Of his present consition, with which
he was well satisfied. was unwilling to insist, but
remarked that the sight OF the glass, which held
encouraged him anew with suitable consultations and
left him, AFTER recommending that he should conine
himself to the use Of asparagus.
That evening-haying been detained at home by
= casual accident, which made me lose sight Of him
-hiA wife came In search Of me, and told me in q
transport II joy that her husband had slept tran
gully for two hours, that he vas continually IN .
profnse persprafion, and that the nnmbness in his
arm had entirely disappeared. prescribed what
ever was necessary to keep up the perspiration, and
recommended that he should continue to eat of the
asparagus - long Is he remained awake during the
night
On the 31s, about six o'clock in the morning, his
wife came again, transported with delight to inform
me that her husband, thanks to God, had slept five
hours ccnsecctvey In perfect quiet, but before he
had slept he had eaten with pleasure nearly two
pounds q asparagus. That during the whole night
he had been In continual perspiration and at that
and that little wiiie after awakening he had asked
for and eaten nz0rsel Of bread and dried ng, afteI
which, be had drank with pleasure, and without eff
fort, . half eiass Of water, during the whole time
Offering thanks % God
renewed the same prescriptions, and gave he