New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-26

present practice OF letting dogs run
large. We do not wish to be called upo
to report case Of hydrophobia like th
one reported below, unless it occurs i
the family Of some owner Of q baker
dozen Of dogs. or Of the volrnteef advo
Gates Of canine license. And we shall no
fail to hold every opponent of the pro
posed dog ordinance responsible for ever,
case Of hydrophobia that may occur b,
reason of its failure, if it fails. For
tunately dogs can not vote, so that ther,
is, In reality, but little political capital L
be made in the foolish contest in favor O
dog liberty against human life. The fol
lowing case has just been reported in tn,
medical books:
Case Of Hydrsphobis.
Br DIR. THOMAS DAVIDSON.
lFrom Braithwaite's Retrospect Of Practical Medi
..-r-,- eine and Slreery.l <~
tit appears that there are members of oul
profession who doubt whether there really
il such . disease - hydrophobia. 1t was
however, noticed by aristotle in the Cog,
and described by him 320 years before
On Nav 20, 1870, Thomas Cowan, eight
and. half years old, was bitten by ter
rier dog. The boy was passing quietly
along the street, on his way home from
school about midday, when two ladies fol
distance from him. The dog, without any
provocation. instantly sprung at him. pulled
him to the ground and bit bim severely in
various parts of the body. saw him a0out
twenty minutes afterwafd in the house Ut q
gentleman who witnessed the accident, and
bad assisted id taking the dog off the boy.
was told by the person who came for me
that the woupds we're bleeding severely.
and on approaching the house where the
of blood ON the street. found him pale
and faint from the shock and loss of blood,
bat the hemorEhage had ceased. After he
drank cup Of tea the faintness speedily
passed OF. dressed the wounds in tenn
porary way, and had him taken home in q
conveyance to his m0ther's residence and
completed the dressing. found an exten-
sive lacerated wound extending from the
outer angle Of the right orbit to near the
entire eyebrow and upper eyelid, whic b
were hanging as flap near the nose, and
partly exposing the globe of the eye. The
dogs teeth must have pressed upon the
latter, but it was not perceptibly injured
There were also several severe wounds all
over the forehead; in the centre there was
. deep indentation down to the bone, ey;-
IDENTIFY done BY large canine tooth. There
was also lacerated wound in the chin. On
examining his left arm l found several
teeth marks on both sides, the dog having
had . firm grasp Of the arm in his mouth,
the marks Of the teeth of both jaws being
quite distinct. The canine teeth had enter
ed deeply into the arm. On the right thigh
there were also several deep wounds.
The owner Of the dog being present, as
sured me there was no d sease about the
animal, it never having shown any symptoms
Of rabies. To prevent it injuring any other
action of q powerful: poison, which had been
given for the purpose Of destroying it. The
wounds, from their situation and number,
rendered exciei0n and cauterizatiOn out of
the question. /, therefore, washed them
carefully and applied carbolic acid, replaced
the flap, securing it by wire sutures, at the
same time directing hot poultices should be
applied to the different parts until the eve.
ming. at that time removed them, substi-
acid. On visiting the patient next morning
I found him going on very well; his general
health was good, there was NO fever, the
wounds presenting favorable appearance,
and healed perfectly in about ten or twelve
days without the least deformity about the
eye. n The boy got out of bed occasionally
after the eighth day, and being . cheerful,
happy little fellow, he played about the
house, showing NO anxiety or nervous de-
having quito healed, he was allowed to 20
out and play about the doors with his COM
panions for short time daily, the weather
being warm and genial. had never men
toned that hydr0phobia was likely to re-
suit, nor had any dread of its appearing
in this case, as no one considered that the
dog was affected by canine madness. The
patients mother and his aunt, who resided
in the same house, assured me it never had
such dire disease was likely to follow,
nor was he at any time either annoyed or
frightened after being bit. On Sunday.
June S, he appeared in perfect health, and |
was quite cheerful and happy. A fearful |
change, however, was shortly about to take |
place. On June 7, eighteen days after the |
accident. Was called at eight O'Clock in the |
evening to zee him. His mother informed |
ne he had complained all that day of pains |
about the neck, head and face, but not par
ticularly about the bitten parts Although |
he had been able to amuse himself with bis |
~ usual about the doors, he |
aad taken very little food during the day, |
md could not take his tea in the evening.
found him in bed suffering from intense |
ever and vomiting, which was informed |
lad come ON about an hour previously. The |
pulse was -lS0. hard and incompressible:
ongue clean; Akin particularly hot and dry. /
The symptoms indicated severe functional !
ever, yet there was an indescribable ap-
,earance which thought had never seen
before in any case. When asked him if
le had any pain he replied he had pain in
lis head. There was no thirst, but his
mother informed me, ON inquiry, that be
lad drank little tea, which he swallowed
Without any difficulty. prescribed q mix
ure composed Of aqua acct. ammon., spt.
eth. nitros., win. ipecac., to be given fre-
luently in warm water and sugar, directing
It the same time that the extremities should
'e occasionally sponged with tepid water
md vinegar. On visiting him on Wednes-
lay morning the fever had somewhat
Ibated, the vomiting had ceased during the
light, the pnlse was 100 and firm; the tongue
ppeared ~ if it had got coating of thin,
White, glistening varnish. A laxative was
administered and tho mixture continued.
The symptoms remained unchanged until
bout A. n. His mother stated he had
carcely slept during the night, having been
xtremely restless, tossing about the bed
nd changing his position every few min.
ties, and had mot been able to swallow any.
hing after two or three o'clock in the morn.
ng. / offered him teaspoonful Of tepid
aak; he readily opened his mouth, but in .
uick, buried manner, the moment the
luid touched his tongue, it was Instantly
jected with force. Being at the same time
oized With = At of 0uff0catinp snaam ha |