Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-07-31
Killed by Fright.

HAVING received within the present
week three letters relating to alleged
deaths from g hydrophobia," we infer that
| an unusual &c state of mind' on that sub
| ject must be prevailing in some quarters
| 1t is very much to be regretted that people
insist on distressing themselves with their
fancies about a disease concerning which
so much is said on such slight foundation
| in fact. Yet the traditional fear Of hydro
phobia is widespread, and it is this aspect
of the case that has to be dealt with. The
prevalence of the fear among the relatives
and friends of those who have had the
misfortune to be nipped or bitten by a
dog, reacting on the natural apprehension
of the victim Of the bite, produces a mis-
| chievOus effect on the nerves and magma
ton OF the sufferer, which eventually takes
on the form of hydrophObia'
Nothing in physiology has been more
thoroughly demonstrated than the infu-
ence of the mind upon the body; the in
| t1uence of the Imagination in causing the
stimulation of disease; the influence of
mental emotion in causing dangerous
illness and death. Instances in which
the hair has turned gray and even white
within a few hours by sudden shock
OF great bodily fear might be adduced
by the score Dr. d. Ii. luke, in his
little work on that subject, relates an
abundance of them. These are all physi-
cal effects from purely mental causes
Death itself has been caused by sudden
fright, and it is said that the overpow-
ering effect of great and sudden joy is
nearly as fatal. The illustrious Pope Leo
X. is said to have died from this last
named cause. There is a case mentioned
| I
condemned to be bled to death, was hand
ed over to the doctors for scientific expert
ment. He was blindfolded and laid upon
a table; small cuts were made in his arms,
and streams of warm fluid were set to run
ming over his flesh, near the harmless cuts
The man gradually sank away into death
He had not lost ten drops of blood, but
believing that he was being bled to DEATH
| and imagining the life current rapidly
| flowing from his two arms, he died
To come back to 'hydrophobia' and
| the influence of the imag ination in pro-
ducing simulations Of that disease, there
is a case exactly in point. DR.. Chomel, a
physician of Lyons, France, who had
been aiding in the dissection of several
| bodies said TO have been victims of the
dreaded disease, fancied that he had be
come innoculated with it. SO much did
| he think of it, that on attempting to
| drink water he was seized with spasms.
This continued for several days, and, in
| deed, until the persevering arguments of
| his friends convinced him of the ground
less character of his fears, when he con-
quered his imagination and banished
hydrophobia by resolving that he did not
have it.
DR.. Rush, Of our own city, has record
| cd e Z e
| ton in causing the appearance of dis
ease, and Of at least one case of what
may be denominated Spontaneous" hy-
drophobia. Quite recently three cases of
the disease have been reported in Balti-
more, but 1t is not certain whether even
one of these is an authentic case. All
| three persons were bitten by the same
dog. One of them became alarminely
Ill, and died of what one doctor said was
| hydrophOb1a, and another said was mania
potu. While this one was very ill, one of
his bitten companions called to see him,
who went away in a state of alarm about
himself, and not long after died with the
usual popular symptoms Of hydrophobia.
The third of these victims Of the same
dog, instead Of giving way to fear, went
for the doctor, and, fortunately, found one
who was not afflicted with the 'rabies" of
hydrophobia, and, at last accounts, he was
nearly cured"
The moral of all this is that most DO
tent remedy for hydrophobia is to refuse
to believe in the existence of the disease,
except as a malady caused by imagina.
ton. This is the view of the matter taken
by some intelligent physicians. DR.. Marx
of Gottingen, Germany, has given publ
city to his opinion that the bite of 'smad
| of IL,
symptoms of hydrOphobia, and if it was
and commissions would not take place
He regarded what is called 'hydrophobia''
as an affection arising from fright and
a morbidly excited imagination. He adj
vlses that men, women, and especially
children, shall be trained into disbelief in
the disease; to have no more fear of a doc
bite than any other cut or wound; and to
trust with confidence to the treatment OF
the doctor, the same as they would fo1
any other hurt There are thousands OF
persons in Philadelphia who have been
bitten by dogs, but we have vet to see the
first clear, indisputable case of "hydropho.
bia," wherein fear and Imagination were
not more fatal than the dog bite-PAiEa
delphta Ledger.
1 KEEP YOUR IMPLEMENTS BRIGHT-
When you have done with your blows
and other implements having bright sur.
faces, always clean them thoroughly
Wipe them dry, and before putting them
away rub them lightly with lamp black
and fatty oil, Or even lamp black and
kerosene. 1t will preserve the bright sur
facss intact if they are kept under cover
as they should be, and save much brick
dust and water or oil when they are to be
used again. Many good farmers have a
cloth moistened with oil in the field to
rub the bright surfaces of implements
with, at night, to prevent the rust that
often attacks them after a days work, ar-
ticularly on soils that do not scour. 1t
| will be found to be a paying investment.