The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-14
a Rany Dies OF Hydsephobsa--An
q AwfuR Caae-The Chtsd Tears HIS
tClOthiE1 and Harks Like Dog.

l 4 lFrom the Chicago Republican, Aug. 81 !: !.
| "A little sou OF John McGinnis, an EN-
ploye at the stock yards, died last Saturday
morning Of hydropho bia. The age OF the
child was one year aud nine months. The
case Is a somewhat Singular one, and there.
fore we give It with some particularly Of de.
tail. Very few cases are on record of the
| fearful complaint attacking one SO young.
The position taken by certain authorities
Is here proved to be untenable. An unreal
soning 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. tsi.'' -
The child was bitten d little over month
ago. The mother had one day seated 1t on
the ground at the back door of the house,
when large Newfoundland dog belonging
to q butcher named Shuier, living In the
netgh6orhood, came suddenly rushing up
to the child and bit it. No one about the
house had seen this animal previously.
Three ugly wounds were inflicted upon
the tender infhnt by the ravnging animal
one 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 symptom of madness,
foaming at the mouth, swapping at every
thing it passed, without 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
the parents. Last Wednesday morning the
infant began to show singular signs Of IT.
ritation, and commenced 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
distressing writing of the jaws and con-
vulsive movements of the face and throat
followed. 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 superfuous 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
teethiug.
All day Wednesday the little sufferer ex-
hibited the same symptoms, seeming, how
ever, all the time to suffer more acutely. It
pulled and tugged at Its clothing with such
energy as to tear off the buttons, and threw
its arms about In the most agonlzed man.
ner.
This continued until Friday night, neither
the mother nor the chlld sleeping. The in
FAINT took no nourishment during all this
thine, aud when water was offered went into
lconvulsions, seeming to reject it with hor-
lror.
DIR. W. W. Goodman, living at the Rock
Island car works, was summoned on Fri
day evening. He at once told the grief
stricken parents that their child was dying
of hydrophobia, and nothing could be done
to save it. He administered morphia with
out effect. The child was apparently in the
Hast stage of the disease. In its conrul-
sions it seemed endowed with preternatu-
raj strength.
The foam which issued from its mouth
} was stained with blood. 1t uttered an in
cessant whine, which those about it COM
pared to the whining of dog. When
! ever the hands Of those attending it
approached It's face the efforts to bite
) were manifestly canine. Although but just
) commencing to talk, it repeatedly uttered
the word "dog" during the night preced-
, ing its death, as if it had somehow in its
ldiseased intantile brain mysteriouly asso-
ciated the idea oil its present sufterings
with its being bitten month before.
Il At o'clock on saturday death came to
the relief OF the sufferer. From Wednes-
day morning until this hour no noursh'
nent and not drop Of water had passeC
it's lips. The case is peculiar one. ant
should attract the general attention of The
n