South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1870-12-23
HYDROPHOBIA.
ny PRoF. y. R. sNura.
From he BSliimore 81,

medical journals, but the important facts
which am about to publish may never
reach those who are interested except
through the columns of newspaper, | take
! this method ofimpartiug them without fur
ther apology, especially as the universal
/ popular Ignorance on the subject is often
permissive of fatal results.
/ have seen recently in the public prints
notices of several deaths by this most ter
rible of diseases, in which the fatal results
might have been easily avorted bad the sim
pie facts which | here publish been known
to the sufferers or their friends. | have
often reproached myself for not having
sooner made this communication, not that
the profession are ignorant of what pub
iiSh, but that the public are Numerically so.
The virus or poison which propagates n.y.
drophObia exists in the saliva of the rabid
animal. 1t is not injected through the
tooth into the wound, as is the venom of
the rattlesuake, or as is the venom of the
bee, through the sting The poison mere
ly besmears the tooth, as the lancet is coat
ed with the virus in vaccinating. There
is another very important distinguishing
fact in regard to its effect on the wounded
part. 1t produces no irritation, no immedi-
ate effect. Like the vaccine virus, or that
OF the smallpox, it has a certain period Of
incubation, or zymotic process before the
system becomes affected This period, in
the production of canine madness, is happi.
ly long, as compared with the period of in
cubauOn of other poisons The period va
ries, but it is commonly about six weeks,
aud then, before constitutional disease is
n eli Al.
scar, and a red list Of inhamed absorbents
Is seen extending up the member. When
these phenomena take place there is no
hope tue constitutional symptoms follow
Immediately. Buff during the long period
which precedes the local symptoms the pro-
per remedies be employed, and especially
soon after the bite, the prevention of the
disease is almost certain.
Contrary to the common belief, deep
wound inflicted by tho bite is less likely
to bc followed by hydrophobia than is a
slight scratch, abrading the skin, for a rea-
son that ought To be obvious-the copious
eiiusiOn Of blood washes away the poison.
Some years ogo I treated in Baltimore a
case Of fatal hydrophobia, which originated
thus a boy was bitten deeply on the
out provocation. The master Of the dog
struck the animal with his hand, and receiv
cd n scratch on his band The dog ran off
and was never seen. The wound in the
boys check bled freely aud in consequence
was washed freely. The scratch on the mans
hand was treated by an old lady with salt.
The man persisted in six weeks 10 the ago.
MES Of hydrophobia. The boy escaped,
though possibly because | opened the scar
and cauterized 1t deeply, for possibly the
poison might still be incubating there.
When persons are bitten through cloth
log, perhaps two garments, the poison may
be all wiped from the tooth, and the bite
prove innocuous, but not certainly. a
large majority, however, Of those bitten
thro' clothing escape the disease These are
the cases in which ridiculous nostrums un-
fortunately acquire reputation for prevent
ing the disease, it being generally suppos.
ed that the bite Of rabid dog is necessari-
" followed by hydrophobia, unless some
preventive remedy be employed
\ person In one Of the Northern States
once received a reward of thousand dollars
for revealing the composition Of q remedy
which was believed 90 have cured or pre-
vented many cases Of hydrophobia He
had administered it % many persons who
had been bitten through clothing and had
never gone mad they gave him their
honest certificates that they believed them.
selves 20 have been cured Of hydrophobia
The composition Of the uostrum proved 10
be mine leaves Of sage, gathered in the
night and the waue of the moon, the mar.
row ola dogs jaw, and the false tongue Of
a foal.'
The use Of such nostrum does no di.
rect harm, but confidence 10 IL does fatal
mischief because 30 procudes the use Of "a
ti0ual prcycntiyes There De- no neighbor-
hood DO which there j. not some old woman
who declares and, perhaps, honestly be-
Iicvcs tina, she can prevent or cure hydro.
phobi1, and perhaps by the use Of her
remedies the precious opportunity to avert
SO terrible a disease is lost, as ! have nv.
self witnessed.
/ have been a hundred times called mon
by persons bitten By dogs known not 10 be
rabid, but set these persons were tortured
by tbo apprehension that, should the dog
that inflicted che bite ever 10 mad, thov
would themselves be affected with hydyo.
phobia This would be simply ridiculous
we're 10 not that so many believe IL. a Der.
sou might as well fear having small. box
who bad, Eve years ago, shaken hands with
a man that now has IT,
lt is the practical part Of this communi-
cation which is important. We cannot cure
this terrible disease when once DEVELOPED
To is true that there often occur In the pub-
Joe prints, ans sometimes in medical Jour
nnLa- nnllnna % nl.na rmrnI - n.rlns.. -.