Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-09-16
From the Louisville Journal, August 81
R CASE OFHYDROPHOBIA.

We saw yesterday, at First Street
| Station House, one of the most shock
ing cases resulting from the bite of a
ra6id dog that ever caused the
| sympathetic heart of man to feel for
| another's woe. The facts in the case
are as follows: About three weeks
ago a negro woman, named Martina
| Holland, who has for some time past
been in the employ OF Mr.. Brasler,
and worked as a field hand upon his
place in Christian county, about nine
miles west of HOpkinsville, in this
State, was bitten in the calf of the leg
by a dog. The wound was small, and
as no evil effects were anticipated,
nothing beyond the ordinary treat
ment, beyond some simple application,
was ~reSOrted TO.
About one week after the biting
occurred, unmistakable symptoms
were manifested of the dredful affiic-
ton that has apparently transformed
the poor servant girl, who, by the way,
has always been a good ana 1althtul
servant, from a rational being to a
most helpless, senseless, Taving mani
ac. The first decided evidence of her
condition was given by the girl
menacing and running after Mrs.
Brasier, who was rescued by her son
James Brasier, who caught the girl
and tied her, but in doing so Martha
scratched him, from the effects OF
which he has since gone mad, and Is
i'm the asylum at HOpkinsville, being
treated. His condition is almost as
bad as that of the girl. After this
became known in the neighborhOod,
a meeting was held by the people,
and tb3V sentenced the girl to be shot!
The execution of the sentence was
DELAYED and finally revoked, and 1t
was decided to send the girl to the
Lunatic Asylum at Lexington, as that
is the only institution in the State
where colored patients of this charac-
ter is received.
The dog that has caused all of this
trouble bit a little III at Hopkinsyille
some eight or ten days ago, and 1t Is
said that the victim died from the
effects of the bite in five minutes
after the wound was made. Every
officer but one i'm Christian county
declined to take the girl in charge to
deliver her to the keeperOf the asylum
at Lexington. This is the well
and f~avorably known Deputy Sheriff,
James 4. BObbitt, who deserves well
for daring to perform such a perilous
undertaking. To prevent the posi-
hility of further harm to others, as the
girl was constantly trying to bite or
Scratch her custodians, her toe and
finger nails were closely trimmed,
and her teeth Ucre knocked ont? 1t
is impossible to keep clothes upon her,
and She was all day yesterday III her
cell as naked rs the absence OF cloth
ing would permit her to be-. One
remarkable fact connected with this
case Is that the patient refuses to taste
food of any kind, Oh to drink water.
She is so obstinate in this particular
that Deputy Sheriff BObbitt informs
us that il has been twelve days since
she has taken nOurishment of any
description, or swallowed n drop OF
water. ,
She has not had a lucid interval
since the attack, but has slept some.
Her conduct in the cell is ~bOisterOus,
and indicates no bodily PAIN She
will sing, call the names of acquaint=
ances, whistle, curse, jump, and
waIlow about on the floor like a mon
kew or grasshOpper. If you speak to
her She will answer you, but not
intelIigently. Several physicians of
this city were to have visited her yes
terday, but we believe they did not.
The doctors do not agree in estimating
the character of the attack DR.. \.
4, Rowland, of Christian county,
pronOunces It mOnomania, while
Others say that it is clearly %hydrophO-
bia, to the latter of which opinions we
incline; but we leave them to determ-
inc the point. We have given a
concise statement of the facts as they
were given us by the officers having
herin charge, and we will now dismiss
the subject by remarking that the
case In its details and bearings certain
ly presents some highly interesting
and very remarkable features.