The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-07-20


physician in attendance. Differences Of opinion
prevailing in the community respecting the charac-
ter Of his disease, was requested by several men,
bsrs VI iLe"Turner Association" of which he was
q membf, to make post mofism examination Of
the body. Thu proceeded TO do about fourteen
hours after death. As matter Of preliminary i'm.
porlancc | obtained the following history Of the
case irom several friends Of the deceased some Of
whom had been with him duriag his last Illness
and III Of whom knew him intimately.
On evening during the latter part Of March
last, whilst walking down Main street, Mr.. w endel
was asiaiCd by small dog, which bit him on the
outside If the left leg, about four inches below the
knee. The bite WAS rather severe one, and to re-
iieye The pain and stop the blood, Mir. W. with a
friend or two, went into grocery ear by and APP
Piled some whisky to IL. II was about O'Clock
IN the evening when this occurred, ana ii being
dark tho dog ran off and was not seen afterwards
Tho wound healed kindly, and after q few days
nothing more Was thought OF IL. Although, about
this time there we're frequent reports of mad dogs
| cangot learn that Mr. Wendell or his friends fear
ed lac WAS bitten by one. His health remained as
good us usual, until the first of July, little over
three months from the time of the occurrence above
mentioned. About this time, he complained of
weakness and occasional uneasiness or pain in the
limbs. and was observed by several TO be less com
municatve than usual and to take less interest in
business and passing affairs. Some thought this
amounted 20 kind of melancholy which impelied
him u avoil society. Others were not aware of
this, The feeling Of weakness and uneas mess in
The LIMBS however, continued with little variation
until Tuesday morning July 18Th. Between . 4 7
o'elCeh that morning. he bad quite severe and
ptOtEaCtcd chi II this was followed by a sense Of
stiffness and increased uneasincss 10 the limbs
with Hush pain in the region Of the stomach and
left side cannot learn that the scar of the bite
excited any attention, but there pain, extend
lug fom the middle Of the left thigh to the small
Of the back, and from thence up the spine. These
symptoms compelled him to take his bed and he
refused all nourishment that day, except nj noon .
when hS took little tea. He had no fever or
cough, vas perfectly rational, but restless during
tAo day, from the causes enumerated. AT s o clock
IN toe evening, be complained of fullncss of the
chest and occasionally Of sense of suffocation aud
Il Was ABOUT this hour that the symptom usually
regarded Ms characteristic, Of iydrophQh a WAS fir
19ssltreu. lie called for water, which was present.
al Ia nmbler. On taking IL into he hand he was
seized W tn a general trcmor and strong spasmolic
action atJut the chest and throat. Water was then
given III N IN IA teaspoon, but on touching his mouth
senla Immediately excite the same spasmodlc ac-
ton ia~ attempt 10 gave u through tube pro-
dHced the same results. Dr. Walters was called in
al o'e!ack, and Or. WSman at IL. A cours. Of
treatment deemed appropriate was adopted, the
details ~ which noed not mention, but only say
that ell attempts 10 administer medicine IN fluid
form N ed abSrtNe, and even the sapor Of chloro-
form could not be Inhaled without exciting the
spasm + the throat. In this way he went through
ths night, his restlessness Increasing and appeared
in the morning weak ard exhausted his conntun-
ance exhibiting an appearances II anxiety and ago.
NY. Frequent attempts were now made TO give
him water, which he seemed TO crave, but they on.
iy excited in increased degree the spasm oil the
throat and sense Of suiiocation. IL was now oh
trf,Sd dngsday morning, l4th,) that he aid
not BEAR the slightest agitx1ion Ut the air about
him In attempt to drive away ths aies by pass
ihg the band slowly over the lace, would excite
eoatusNe movements, and coming suddenly to-
war hilu, or sitting down quickly by his SIDE
WalIi produce The same effect There was diGpo-
81 ton but inability TO sleep. During this day, the
PAIN, reslessness and sense of suocation increased
and he saened to be termented with thirst; but
with The .Rtne agoDiIing dread Of water. some
tiEncs he would take the teaspoon In his hand 10 we
il slowly toward his mouth, pause a moment ms If
ellesting energy and r, solution, and then dash il
qG3e&l ~ aGd epnyulsivey into the mouth-then fall
back IN & general spasm, his head drawn toward
tad Fptn,, grasping at :he thruat with his hands
aui ag,nizing in the effort To swallow, until he
would sins exhausted upon tho bed. His eyes were
blight and glazing. There was frequent signing
III ci5rs to catch the breath like one descending
sSifliy ia aswing--with constant sense of ulincss
OF cheat and stranxulstion. Toward evening there
was rather ptotuse secretion Of rory mueus about
the mouth, which collecting in the throat ncrea. I'd
tho tense of choking.
WISH gradual increase, Notwithstanding the ju.
deions and wsll-lireeted cfrts Of the several ply
soiais y no v,sited him during the day thee symp-
tans iuued Till between I = o'clock Wodnes-
day evening, (ltth inst} when he sunk exhausted
atd expired by sua0eation. he was rational
throughout.
On thursday morning, was waited on by sever
al members of the Turner'S Association and re-
fluasted to examine the body which did, after
obtaining tbs foregoing facts from several reliable
parsyHs and from one Of the attending Ihysiciaps
/ aas as listed by DR.. sherman.
On opnngt the chest, we found the lungs intense
~ eongested, the left more than the right, every
portion hsing flied with black coagulatca blood
ILe heaftsac contained about an ounce Of serous
Had the chambers Of the heart were empty, but
IT. walls were pale and iaceid. Opening the wind
pipe ~ high US the throat, found the mucus
membrane lining it, aud it's tension about the
throat greatly congested which eonges ton cxtend-
ed into its ramiiicsiOns in the lungs as far a. it
was trae ID. The stomach, liver and bow els hib
tied evidence of disease. There was Sights we'll
ing and reduess shown by ncisions into The sear Of
tae bite We proposed 20 examine the brain, but
objections wsrd Rade 90 the ground that the fnner-
Al h5ar was al hand, and the examination was not
continued. This being the organ where the ptinc-
pal diseased conditions arc supposed to exist in
case Ut liyirophobia tais omission ay be ret-
ted by sanie but the faet which He-here dosirs to
state that the most careful investigation has hth-
ero discovered nothing IN the dissection VI persons
dying of Hydrophoba, which throws the least light
tue theory OF the dl.ease, will mitigate this re-
Tet. IL is the rational symruns Of this affection,
which do not res alt FROM any other known morbid
condition OF the human bvdy, which must influence
decision, and judging ir m these, carefully OBJ
tanned from every reliable SQUIRE aud from close
m dical obseryers, and also deriving confidence
from th Appearances after death, do not hesitate
to pronounce the case II Leonard Wendell one Ut
HYDH1rHopIA, resulting from the bite VI mad dog
AZ the time above named skeptcism has suggest
ed many objections 10 this, as per example that
tue Dig sbich bit Mr.. is still living and HEALTHY
ac but this, with other objections have been thor
oughiy examined, and found TO b. without coniir-
nation. l have invest gated this case by the desire
Of Mr.. Weudels family and friends, and make this
il. fnle NV hair In datn 10 I