Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-28
A BABY Dies of HydrophobIa-An
Awful Cause.-The Child Tears It's
CIothfun and Banks Like n Dog.

A Bnby Dies of HydrOphobSa-AI
Awful Case--The Child Tears ~
Clothing and Banks Like " DOG
From tho Chicago Republican. August 81
A little son of John McGinnis, an EN-
ploye of the stock yards, died last SAT
urday morning ofhydrophobia. The az
of the child was one year and Mint
months. The case is a somewhat singular
one, and therefore we give it with som,
particularly of detail. Very few casei
are on record of the fearful complaint at
lacking one so young. The position taken
by certain authorities that the disease is
simply Of the Imagination is here proved
to be untenable. An unreasoning infant
Just beginning to prattle, is not likely to
be so disturbed by the fear of imaginary
physical troubles as to be in this manner
hurried out of the world.
The child was bitten a little over a
month ago. The mother had seated 1t
on the ground at the back door of the
house when large Newfoundland dog
belonging TO a butcher named Shuler,
living in the neighborhood, came sud
denly rushing up to the child and bit II.
| No one about the house had seen this
animal previously is
Three ugly wounds we're inflicted upon
the tender infant by the ravaging ami
malone at the side of the left temple,
another between the eyes, and the third
on the top Of the head near the edge of
the hair. The brute showed every symp-
tom of madness, foaming OF the mouth,
swapping at everything it passed, with
out stopping to vent its rage upon any
particular object.
The wounds upon the child soon
healed, only one slight scar on the nose
remaining. The matter faded from the
recollection of heparents. Last Wednes-
day morning the infant began to show
singular signs of irritation, and COM
menced tearing off its clothes, at the
same time uttering low, wailing cries,
and complaining of thirst. But when
water was offered to it the most distress
ing writhing of the jaws and convulslve
movements of the face and throat fol-
lowed. No one seemed at first TO know
the real cause of the trouble. The
startled mother did all in her power to
restore her infant to ease and quiet.
Thinking it might be suffering from the
heat, she took off some of the super
fiuous clothing. The wise women of the
neighborhood gathered in and gave their
diagnosis of the disease. Some said the
complaint was diptheria, and some said
the poor little thing was teething.
All day Wednesday the little sufferer
the same symptoms, seeming,
however, all the time to suffer more
acutely. 1t pulled and tugged at its
clothing with such energy as to tear Off
the buttons, and threw its arms about in
the most agonized manner
This continued until Friday night,
neither the mother nor the child sleeping.
The infant took no nourishment during
all this time, and when water was offered
went into commissions, seeming to reject
il with horror.
DIR. w. w. Goodman, living at the
Rock Island car works, was summoned
ON Friday evening He at once told the
parents that their child
was dying of hydrophobia, and nothing
could be done to save it. He admins
tered morphia without effect The child
was apparently in the last stage of the
disease. In its commissions it seemed
with preternatural strength.
The foam which issued from its mouth |
was stained with blood 1t uttered an
incessant whine, which those about it
to the whining Of a dog |
Whenever the hands of those attending |
it approached it's face the efforts to bite
we're manilestly canine. Although but |
Just commencing to talk, il repeatedly |
uttered the word dog " during the night
preceding its death, as if it had some
how in its diseased infantile brain mys- |
associated the idea of its pres
emit suferings with its being bitten a
month before. |
At eight o'clock on Saturday death |
came to the relief of the sufferer. From
Wednesday morning until this hour no |
and not drop Of water
mad passed its lips The case is pc
:uliar one, and should attract the gene
.al attention of the medical world.