The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-07-23
tFrom the New York sun.l
THE HYDROPHOBIA FRIGHT.
Recent Fatal Cases Viewed I'm IN. ,,g,,
of Science.

hoderlck L. Entwistle, whose case
exclted 30 much interest among the
physicians, died in Bellevue Hospital,
At ABOUT twelve o'clock on Tuesday
night Entwistle, who had been under
the influence of chloroform for an
hour, awoke and began to Struggle FOR
nperty. lie was confined in a strait
Jacket, and soon became uuieter. and
remained at rest until fifteen minutes
past three. Then he began to mutter
to himself. A liquid medicine was
offered him, but nothing could per.
suade him to swallow it. Before this,
though he rejected all liquids, the
stern command of DIR. Chaplin, the
house physician, "Sit up like a man
and take this medicine" had been
obeyed. He now grew worse rapidly,
and by halt-past four was in terrible
fury. Sixteen minims of solution of
morphine were then administered hypo.
dermically, under the influence of
which he became easier, though not
silent. AT half-past seven he was ra-
tlonal, and seemed to have some recol-
Lection OF his violence during the
night. He then apologized for often
slve language to the. physicians and at
tendants while in his paroxysms.
The patient was then given an egg
and small quantity of brandy. At
about 8 o'clock o tablespoonful of
whisky and water was offered him, but
he could not swallow. He remained
motlonless, and the whisky was al.
lowed to trickle down his throat. At
ten minutes past 8 an injection of
WHISKY and milk was given, five min
utes, later another injection of one
drachm OF whisky was administered,
and at twenty five minutes past 8, more
whisky and milk. The pulse had be-
come very slow and feeble, and the
breathing superficial and slow, showing
that the lungs were overloaded with
carbonlc acid gas. Eight drops of
nitrate OF amyl were given, and they
quickened the pulse, and the breathing
became more rapid. At twenty min.
utes past nine another injection of
whisky was given. He remained
quiet, with the pulse at 100. The res
plration was very feeble.
Just before the patient died a spasm
shook his body. He tried to throw up
his hands, and his face for an instant
wore frightened expression. Then,
becoming calm, he died without ap-
parent pain.
An autopsy was made in the afternoon
under the direction of DR.. Arnold, one
to the Bellevue curators and PATHOLOGY.
sal Professor in the New York Uni
verslty of Medicine. He was assisted
by DIR. Knox, of the Bellevue staff,
Doctors Hammond, Wood, Hamilton,
Russell, Kelly. DR.. Arnold's report of
the autopsy is as follows
Heart.-Pericardium aiherent over
the entire surface.
Lungs.-Left lung congested. Right
lung normal.
Kidneys.-Capsule adherent. Slight
amount of pus at the pelvis of the right
kidney. Liver cengested and fatty.
Spleen soft.
Brain. of the base thick
ened. Atheroma over surface. Cere-
bellum softened. Larynx containing an
amount of thickish mucus.
Mucous membrane congested.
The fact that Entw1stle had been
hard drinker was fully demonstrated
by the condition of nearly all the or
gans, the effects of alcohol beng plainly
visible.
The opinions of the physicians were
many as to the real cause OF Entwistle's
death. DIR. Hammond thought it was
not case of hydrophobia. The autopsy
revealed nothing of the kind to him
He thought the symptoms more like
those of delirium tremens. He has
taken parts of the brain to his cffice,
and as soon as possible will continue his
microscopic investigations.
DIR. Frank Ell. Hamilton thought that
the case was one of genuine hydropho-
bia. He based this opinion on the his
tory OF the case and the autopsy. In
the autepey he regarded the condition
of the brain as inconclusive but the
condition of the larynx and trachea was
peculiar, and taken in connection with
the history of the case might be re-
garded as pathognomonic. The mu-
cous membrane of the larynx was pre-.
ternaturally vasculara and thickened, the
rima glottidis nearly closed, and the
larynx and trachea filed, or nearly
filled, with frothy tenacious mucus.
The doctor thought that these symp-
toms could not be produced by any
moral cause, such as fright.
DR.. Arnold thought it not case of
curately from the autopsy, but his be-
lief was that death had been the result
of exhaustion following excessive
fright, the system being very low from
the excessive use of alcoholic stimu-
lants. He had often seen the same ap.
pearance of the larynx in cases of acute
mania, once in a case of undoubted
hydrophobia. In this latter case the
condition was not more pronounced
than in the case of Entwistle. DIR.
Arnold examined the mucus and blood
with microscope, but could reach no
definite conclusion. He intends to in
oculate several dogs with the blood,
mucus, and serum taken from the dead
man. Experiments have shown that
such incubation made within twenty
four hours after death will often pro-
duce rabies, though not invariably. The
animas are to be kept quiet, treated
with the utmost care, and DR.. Arnold
feels confident that if Entwistle died of
hydrophobia these animals will show
the effects of the incubation.
DR.. William A. Hammond's micro.
that hydrophobia is disease, not of
the blood, but of the nerves. He says
that DR.. Clifford Alburt, OF Leeds,
England, made similar discovery two |
years ago, and in two distinct cases
found the patients affected precisely as
Mr., Mccormick was, by the influence
OF the poison on the nervous system /; |
DIR. Hammond's own observations
merely confirm those of the English
surgeon. His theory of the impossi-
bility of a dog inoculating a person
without puncturing the skin with it's