Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-20
The Case of Hydrophobia from
the Bite of n Cat.


The case of Mr. Schuman, of Brook
lyn, who is supposed to be suffering
from hydrophobia, the result of the bite
of cat, is very singular one. The
bite was inflicted about two weeks
ago. The brute was killed the wound
healed up and the occurrence was for
gotten. Last Saturday he complained to
his wife of feeling unweil, and particu-
larly of pains IN his head, and requested
her to make him something that would
relieve him. She procured a seidlitz
powder, and while holding a half-filled
glass in each hand, preparatory to mix
ing the two together, he took one from
her. and drinking some of it, spat it out
and declared that his wife was trying TO
poison him. This was the first intima-
ton bis family had that his brain was
turned. On the same day he ran out of
the house with a stick ia his hand aud
began TO look under the house
for the eat. When his wife came
out to pursuade him to return, he leaped
over the fence, and ran into neighbor's
house, begging to be protected, as his
wife wanted to kill him, Two powerful
men have been exhausted holding him
down in bed. They are obliged to wear
4
tempts to scratch them. He spits like q
eat occasionally, hut the most remarka-
Bile feature of the maiady is that he
barks and growls like a dog, giving a
perfect initiation of that animal. He
keeps his ewes closed most of the time,
being ayerfe to any light in the room.
His hands will sometimes GO through the
motion of stFoking and petting an
animal, and he will begin
to talk Of the cat and dog.
Yesterday he was perfectly sensible,
and drank immense quantities of water,
which is all the nourishment he has had.
His son says ne must have drank several
gallons of it. He expressed hopes dur
/ ing the day that his sickness would not
carry him OFF. Mr.. Shumann is well
educated man, speaking four languages
|. and well yersed in the sciences. His at
tending physician is of the opinion that
he cannot survive. i.5. 1-.
ARE. NAMES OF ANY Use IN INFLUENc-
ING CHARACTER ?--It is quite certain
that they were held SO by our semi
savage forefathers, who gave their chill
dren names betokening what they wished
them to be, and the same holds good in
| respect to the Romans, the Hebrews,
| and the Greeks, as it does with our
American Indiana at the present day.
Then, too, there was the custom of
giving. an agnomen for great virtue or
distinguished service, which acted in
much the same way; for let a man once
be termed 'sThe Good, or ''The Brave u
and it was force in prompting him to
perfect himself in these particulars, the
power of which cannot be oyer-estim-
| ated. But to come down to more re-
| cent date Tt was the habit of parents
| in New England and Old England, not
| two hundred years ago, to call their
| children by the cardinal virtues, Scrip
tural interjections, or even by entire
| verses of the Sacred Text. This usage,
which has been the butt of much poor
wit, while it had faults, had, also, to re-
commend it, broad foundation of
sense, which our present system does
not in any way possess. 1t might
| and it did foster cant and hypo-
crisy, it was often harsh and un-
| coutb, but having said this against
| it, we have said all. On the other hand,
it gave to ordinary life, particularly in
respect to the female portion of the fam
| lily, a sanetity it has never since pos
sessed. A woman who bore the name of
Charity must have been almost inhuman
to have been hard-hearted and severe !;
while what barrier against temptation,
what an incentive to virtue, must have
been her over whose cradle fond
mother had breathed the name Piety !
In spite of the restraints that modern
life seeks to put upon us, there is some
thing of this spirit in us, still. A little
girl whose bright eyes, golden hair, and
happy laugh, are the delight of the
home circle, almost always receives
some pet name; say, for example,
"Sunny" When some one of the hum
dred daily troubles has changed this joy
BUSINESS into discomfort, it is curious to
notice how soon this will be cast off, and
the darkness break into light, if some
slight remark is made, such as, ''the
clouds have covered Sunny" 1t is the
effect of a name, and the result is pro-
duced by the almost involuntary action
of the will in seeking to approach, as
near as possible, to its likeness. Apple
tons Journal.