American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1855-09-22
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

French correspondent Of the London
Literary World: ... ......
A frightful case Of hydrophobia is
described in the Lyons Journals, which
it the facts are correctly stated. would
go To prove that this fatal malady can
remain III the system as long as four
years without dcveiopment--a much
longer period, | believe, than has ev-
er been automatically y shown to have Ia
ken place between the injury and iIs
consequences; but there is some doubt
as TO the real nature of the disease,
though unfortunately none as to the
dreadful catastrophe which took place.
"A young farmer named Peyron, about
Twenty-Five years of age, in the depart
menl Of the Rhine, was married, few
weeks ago To a neighbor's dauehter.-
The young couple had been long at
tached To each other; but the parents of
the bride had refused their consent on
account of strangeness of conduct oc.
casionally observed in the young man,
who otherwise was most eligible match
his parents being comparatively well off
and the son himself generally of ex-
emplary good conduct. His passion
for the girl became at length 50 violent
that he declared he could not exist
without her, and meditated suicide,
went to the parents'of the young woman
and after some enreaty, prevailed upon
them to agree to the match.
Young Peyron at once recovered his
spirits, the young woman was delighted
and the marriage was celebrated with
all the rustic pomp and ceremony com
mos in that part Of the provinces, CON
Guiding with d grand dinner and the in
evitible ball. The gayities were kop,
up until daylight, when the company
separated. The new married couple
were lodged in one wing of the farm
house. separate from the main building
but, in some time after they had retired
cries were heard from the nuptial cham
ber. At first they were unnoticed; but
at length they increased to fearful
shrieks, and thn father apd mother, a
larmed, hastened 10 the room, followed
by the farm servants. The cries were
by The time they arrived changed to
scarcely audible groans from the poor
girl; and on breaking open the door,
she was found in the ugnnies of death
her bosom torn open and lacerated in
the most horrible manner, and the
wretched husband in fit Of Iaving
madness and covered with blood, having
actually devoured a portion of the un-
fortunate girls breast.
A cry of horror burst forth from all
present, and he was dragged from the
room after a most violent resistance, il
taking no less than six men to him down.
Aid was instantly sent for; but before
the doctor could reach the spot the un-
happy victim was 40 more. Young
Peyron was put under treatment, and
straigh waistcoat was attempted TO
be put upon him and his struggles
and screams were such that the doctor
apprehensive lest he should expire in
the assistants hands, ordered them to
deSist. The unfortunate man had by
this time become SO weak that he was
easily conveyed to bed, and died at
-four O'Clock in the afternoon Of the same
day without having for one moment re-
covered his consciousness. IL was then
rccolected, in answer to searching
questions by physician,t that somewhere
about five years previously he had been
bitten by a strange dog, and taken the
usual precautions against hydropo6ia.-
Bot although the dog was killed, ii had
never been satisfactorily shown that it
was really mad; and 40 i'll consequences
resulting from the bite. his friends con-
cluded that IL would come TO nothing,
aud the incideut had been altogether
forgotten.
1t was considered by the doctor
that the circumstances preceding the
marriage and excitement Of the rcCt-
sion itself had reused The latent virus
which had SO long laid dormant in the
blood, and led TO the terrible outbreak
Of ireuzy which had ended so lragical.
ly. On tho medical report being laid
before tho authorities, the extraordinary
nature OF The case naturally excited
much attention and considerable con-
troversy---tbe opinions Of the heads of
the profession being after full iDquiry
that there was no hydrophobia what.
ever in the case, but rooted insanity,
and that it was shown to exist by the oc
casional aberl ations Of the unfortunate
young man, as before mentioned aud
that bis diseased temperament aud too
violent passions. powerfully acted on by
the circumstances, led To the fatal conse-
qnences narrated above. This sad ca.
tastrophe has given rise to fierce med.
ical controversy IN some Of the profes.
sional journals on the nature Of hydro.
phobia, from which it would appear that
although instances Of remarkable cures
OF this fiigh,ful malady are often des-
cfibed IN the journals, 40 authenticated
account OF its favorable termination is
yet known in France.
II Is stated by Professor Tyler, IN
his work on "Prayer for Colleges" ="
that about one third of the students in
the New England colleges are prores.