Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-12-24
iiydrophobia.

We clip the following valuable and in
ieresting communication from the Bsu-
more Sun. written for that paper by Prof.
n. K. SmlIh, The eminent aud welI.known
physlclsn OF that city, upon he hjecl
OF that dangerous and almost incurobe
disease--Hydr drophobia. Every family
should preserve this copy, as it might be
the means OF preventing much of the d.
sease and trouble consequent thereto -
Medical communications should, as
rule, be given 10 the public only through
medical journals. but as lie important
facts which | am about TO publish may
never reach those who are interested tx.
cep, through The columns Of i newspaper,
| take this method Of importing them
without further apology, especially as 'he
universal popular Ignorance on the subject
is often permissive Of fatal resu!Is.
have seen recently in The public prints
notices o! several deaths by this most ter
rlbe OF dIsesses.I in which the fatal results
night have been easily sveried had tie
simple facts which here publish been
known 10 the sufferers or their friends
have of'en reproacbed myself for not
having sooner made this communication.
moi that the profession are ignorant Of
what publish, out thai the public are Ia
meniably so.
The virus or poison which propagaIes
hydrophobia exists IN The ssliva Of the
rsbld animal. II is NOT injected through
the tooth Into the wound, as IS the venom
Of tie Isitesnske, or a. lie the venom Of
the bee, through The sIing. The poison
merely besneaTs The tooth. as the lancet
il coated with lhe virus in vscciDsilne
There i, another very important dlsun-
gushing fsci in regard TO It's enec, on the
wounded part. II produces no irritation,
no immediate effect. Like the vaccine
virus, or that Of the small pox. i, has g
certain period OF incubation, or zymotlc
process before the symiem becomes az
fected. This period, in the production
Of canine madness, is happily long. as
compared with the period Of incubation
Of oIher poisons. The period vsries, bot
II 10 commonly about SIX weeks. and
then, before constitutional disease is devel.
oped,s flight irritation occurs in The scar.
and red list Of nhImed absoIbens is
seen extending up the member. When
these phenomena take place there is no
hope; The constitutional symptoms follow
Immediately. But II daring the long pc.
riod Which precedss The local symptoms
she proper remedies be employed. aud e.
pecaIly coon after Ihe bnc, the prevention
Of the di,es:e is slmos, certain.
Contrary TO the common belief. deep
wound Inflicted by iAe bite is less likely
10 be followed Ly hydfophobia ihsn is .
Sigh; scratch. sbradns ihe skin. for 8
reason iha, orght 10 be obvious-,he CO.
pou, elFusion Of blood ws.hes away the
poison.
Some years sgo ues'ed in Baltimore
case OF fatal hydiophobIs. wbirh oTigI.
mated thus : A boy wss bitten deeply on
the cheek by PET dog. (Which few a, him
without prOvocaion. The master o! the
dog struck The animal with his hand AMI
received scrsrch or hi. nsnd. The dog
ran of and was never seen. The round
in the boys cheek blrd freely. and IN
consequence was washed freely. The
scratch on the mans hand vas treated hy
an old lady with sa!i. The man prrished
in Elk weeks in The saouies Of hy hydropho-
bis. The boy escaped, though possibly
because | opened the scar and csu,erized
il deeply, for possibly Inc poison might
s'Iil be incub.ting there.
When persons sre bitten through cloth.
ing. perhaps two garments. the poison
may be all wiped from The tooth. and The
bite prove innocuous. but no, crrisiply.
A large majority. however,of those onien
through clio hing escape The disease.
These are The case, in which ridiculous
ro,irums unfortunately acquire reputation
Tor preventing the disease. II being gene
rally supposed lha, The bite ol 9 r.bid dog
is necessarily followed by hydrophobis,
unless some preventive remedy be en-
ployed. {. I,
A person in onscljGs NRcltsrh site.
once received re l,pO.ssd Sa-
lars Tor revealing TA esig pe>!iion ol a
remedy which ~ssteliesed TO have rured
or prevented many cases Of hydsophooIa.
tie had I'D miuissered it 70 many Persun,