, 1874-07-11

To the Editor ef the Se.0 Yofk Timer: ....
With view to allayng the present nnreason~
aiTeo!o1, / have thought proper to produce the
opinions Of some Of the highest acinn1ifio minds
Oh this subject. They nra collected from
medical work politely loaned mo BY Dr.. Charles
Do,naoki, aud translated by Or. Ernst 4. Hot
mann. Much OF TIN suh}oined is from tho works
of Prof. Maachla, head Of tho UniycrsitY Of
Prague, an authority all over Europe. BY thnt
e1nii,ent man NO arc assured that rnany persons
suffering from apparent llydrophoblA hhyo never
baen bltton by any animal, aud TINT AL
aro to 10 met with in various
othor diaaases. Ho further states that Nd re)ia-
bio sign, utter death, can be dlscoyerol whoroby
ono could positively assott that q person ind
dod Of hyrrophobla or totanua. He therefore
concludes that l.ydtophobsa is not specihc dis
eaBe but only one occurring uudee certain oon-
dtiolis Incident to various discusses. Post
morte1n examinations hayo shown nothing OK
cept hyperiDmio state OF tho brain aud salnal
marrow, dark-colorod blood. redDeBs Of tho
mucous membrane Of the throat and stomach,
and some havo obseryod hyper'rmia Of tue Eagus
and sympathetic nerves, while o.he1s again dony
this. Tho same Appearances however, arc no.
tlocd In tetnnust aud otnor diseases attended, ny
conyulBlonB. Mnse!lka. Brucknullor, and LorlsiAor
calue to the conoluRion that 1t ib q norynnB dis
easo, anf, resembles sesauus that 1t may follow
M Injury nj well ~ occur without any previous
iuiury OF bite Statltlagnn tloatou twelve por.
BOnB who hud beon bitten bY rabld dogs. VI
this number only ono showed signs Of biokneHs
anil recovered. crnmsr ro!ates thas IN tlie sesr
1859. in Hamburg, 10l persons we're bltton BY
rabid dpga, and .lat ONLY enc died Of sy1nptoms.
of hydrophubla. That popular errors aro hArd
to eradicate ia shown by peonlo speakfug at
persons affected with supposed hydroplioba M
barking aud biting everybody. when tl'ese a'o
but the inartiounto expreRs3ons OF pain !; aNd
tho involuntary contrAatlnua Of tho muscles of
tue Jaws arc regarded as attempts to bite.
These authors also state that disoaBos pro-
ducp,, by other animal poisons have no TO-
soMbanco to tho so-called hytlrorhabfa. tnnB-
much til In tho wound ansi surrounding lart u
the foimer Immediate reaction takes place, aud
as,cb is moi found to be the Gaze IN dog bites,
lilo Imagination a!wayn plays an Important part
In tho development Ut supposed hydsop'onla ;
and no wondor, WHOM IN Il community Ike TINS,
instead OF heothiny tho popular nind, every.
thing IL douo to koop tho excitement up. until
everybody has hydraphoh!a Oh the bran:
Lotiusor OF Wanna, successfully proves that
bite oi mad rtog. Eyon inoonlas!on hsa
faiIod to establish tho contnsion theory;
lIaltwig cites 1877 dogs bitten by rnblt'
dygu, aud OF these only SIX died with symptoms
Ut hydrophobia, while tho rest roln9!nod pol-
fcot(y we'll. According to. .Drlcknnller, after
extensive experiments by inoculatlMg animals
with the saliva Ut mad dogs. only about ilfseen
pey cont showed any aymptotns Of hydropflobta
- much snalter percentage than WuItd be ex'
peotrd from any othor animal poison. III manY
canen thore appeared, atssr inoo"lattou, entirely
different symptoms, such us nervous 1osorh, y
ilamulatlol} uf tho lungs, etc. 1uooluaton VIII
tho blood Of tabid doss showea 10 Ill efoe
whatever. .............. .........
Oh lilo other hand However, cases Of aasun1et
hydrophobia have occurred, protllued ny wonl,t!
OF tho most tllyial character, such Ah ecratcl
with sn iron nal haldly drawing Any blood