Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-01-05

yous persons, who hare been bitten b
healthy animals, fancy ;lia; they have IN
disease, and they initiate almost ever
| symptom of hydrophobia. They re
cover, whatever means may Be employed
knew person in Vernon, to le :igecte,
! y this falls form of hydrophobia. Hi
: son had recently died of the disease. r.
salting from the bite OF rabid cat. HI
father. in aiding to nurse him, received
! spsc OF the boys saliva upon his lip
, From that MON nj he became torture,
w.th the apprehensioas that he had con
Li.acted the disease, though assured tha
ter sfioss.ss-: sss &c hrs s;sEspssss wli,h h,
had witnessed in the boy began to dis
play themselves. lie raved in thc mos
furious manner, refused water, AMI froth.
I'd at the mouth. When any one of ~,
physicians present, remarked. by WAY o
encouragement. that certain symotoms
which marked the former case were ah-
sent, the patient woull Immediately iui-
tate those symptoms. The man, howcv-
er. from extreme exhaustion. fell into 4
profound slumber and walked we'll
Now IN regard 10 preventive trcatm mt.
which Is 50 Efficient, and therefore OF vast
! Importance, let it be remembered that a
mere scratch en the hand or fate is ,he
most dangerous--a bite through the cloth
ing not without danger. As the poison
adhercs 20 the par: for some time aft,r
the bite before it produces the effect. let
the wound be instantly washed, again and
again, with soap and water. If a phys
ician were 70 vaccinate child in the ann.
and au hour after should wash the part
with soap and water, no effect would re-
suit.
The following case is in point \ wo-
! man, the mother of the boy mentioned
above, was washing clothes in her back
yard, when rabii cat ie4pci over tie
fence and attacked the boy, c,inging to
him woundirg his hands and face. The
mother ran to the rescue. scized~he ca..
tore it away from the lad, AMI threw !;
over the fence She then returned 10 her
work, and her hands and arms were in
mersed i'll soap and water for two hours.
Nothing was done for the boy, it not be-
Ing known that the cat was rabii. The
- an-;-h escaped the disease, but the boy
;nstantly - ~" nas&gs is being done send
of caustic potash. This * s'S, '?r p''cI
cylindrical pieces If the .oo:ha" s'nL'' =,
dog has penetrated, cut the caustic in it,iS t.a
shape of pencil or dogs tooth, inscr,
it in the wound and hold it there firmly
fer quarter Of g minute without regard
to pain, which will be severe.
Caustic potash can be made extem,orc
by pouring boiling water on wood as!ns,
straining OF the ley. and boiling it dorn
to the consistency of molas>es. |. may
be applied with Il smooth stick.
When the wound is n scratch. and there
fore the most dangerous, wipe it over
briskl; with the same material. If the
caus,ic potash cannot be procured use nj
tric acid (aquafortis) or sulphuric acid,
Coil otvitrol.) Milder caustics, which do
not destroy the surface of the wound in
which the poison is lodged. are not wor-
thy of confidence, although Mr.. Youatt
recommends the nitrate of silver. (lunar
caustic). The part may Be cpouiticcd with
bread and mill, for two days, AMI then
dressed with simple save.
| 1t is too common 4 practice to Kill in
stantly savage dog who has bitten a
person. This IS exceedingly wrong, as
the person lives fer years with the tortur-
ing apprehension that he has been bitten
by rabid dog. The animal should be
shut up and regularly fea. If rabid, he
will certainly die, bu; if he lives week
and takes food there is ~ danger.
1t is generally believed that canine mad
ness occurs almost exclusively in summer.
and especially during what are termed the
dog days" This IS popular error
According TO the byst authority. the dis
case is communicated only By contagion,
and just as likely to be ropagatcd in win
ter Us in summer, and therefore city or
dinanccs which allow dogs to be at large
ut one season and not ut another are ab-
surd.
In the course of half a century have
had occasion tn treat the bites of dogs un-
idoub;cdly rabid in many instances, and in
not single instance have | known tho
disease to result when the preventative
measures were employed within thre,
days after the bite. do not mean, how.
ever, to justify moments delay in thei,
application.
n. r. SMITH. NJ. d.