The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-07-28
RYDROPHOBIA.

A FATAL CASE AT LAPORfE-THE ATTACH OF
a SMALL TERRIER on AN IRISH WOMAN
THE WOUNDS AND THEIR TREATMENT
SYMPTOMS DEVELOPED AND THE TERliINA-
TON OF THE DIsEAsE-TREATMENT OF THE
CASE.
a special TO the Chicago Times of the sd
from Laporte gives the following painful
facts connected with the frs: case OF hydro
phObia occurring in this State this season:
Tha: fell disease, hydrophobia, has at last
found victim in our city. Three weeks
ago to- ay, small English bull terrier made
a savage attack on Mrs. Catherine Regain, a
worthy Irish lady, living at the corner of
Monroe and Washington streets, inflicting
no less than five distinct wounds on her
body. One, apparently the most serious,
was a lacerated wound about two inches in
length, running traversely across the inside
OF the wrist; another and smaller one. d.
rectly opposite. on The back OF the wrist; an
other in the thick muscles of the arm, below
the elbow. Besides these, there was a wound
on her left cheek just below the eye, and one
at the angle of the Left eye. the former about
an inch long, and the latter mere puncture.
| Physicians were called Immediately; they
| excised the arm wounds, scarified them and
applied cups wherever they would On aw,
thus exhausting the small bloodvessels sur
rounding them. Iodine was then used for
cauterization and a suture put in the wound
| first named, that being the only surure
made. Mrs. Regain was % years OF age, OF a
nervous, saDguine temperament, and was of
course extremity agitated and nervous i'm
medistely after being bitten, being impressed
| with the idea that the dog was rabid Every
effort was made to convince her that such
was not the case. and the efforts were 70 all
appearances successful. since she never
mentioned the subject directly again one
of the wounds healed by the first attention,
and all were healed within 10 days, during
which time they had been dressed three
times. She seemed to recover fully. and in
answer to the inquiries of her physician,
said tnat she was entirely well, and was
/ - NOT EVEN NERVOUS
any longer. She performed her usual
amount of labor, and she was a hardworkin
woman too, without any trouble whatever.
ON last Sunday evening, being Il days after
she was bitten, she complained of a feeling
OF chilliness, headache etc , but nothing was
thought of that particularly. About mid
night she woke up and sprang out OF bed,
terribly agitated and frightened. She mad
dreamed that her son was shot and other
J horrible things; but, being treasured, sought
her couch again. Toward morning and dur
ing Monday, she would be troubled while at
work by nervous agitation, and would start
lup terrified, without any apparent cause,
and thesymptom was entirely inexplicsble
/, to her. In the evening, a physician was
: called 10 see another patient IN the same
; house. she going to the door to answer the
knock. AS she opened it, a current OF air
: struck her, producing paroxysm something
akin TO choking, and adistinctiye symptom
3 OF bydrophobia. The doctor, not knowing
! who she was, asked her If she was frightened.
and what allied her. She explained her
+. fright the preceding night, and said that
/, something felt like coming up from the pit
:, OF the stomach to the throat, producing a
: choking sensation. She asked for a pre-
2 scTiption, which was given to her, but was
never taken. During the night her condi-
: ton gradually became worse. Her muscles
y would contract violently, and the body
. would be fiexed or curved backward; every
: muscle in her whole body would twiteh and
Jerk, and white mucus gather around The
e gums. These paroxysms occurred every ID
: minutes, on an average, and lasted about
e three minutes each time. She requested
: her husband to
HOLD HER WRISTS,
as it afforded her some relief and it was also
done as a precautionary measure to q GER
tain extent. At this stage the spasms ex-
= cited by the effort to swallow water were
developed: she would nervously attempt to
! swallow drink precpitantly. and imne-
o diately the utmost terror and distress was
- depicted on her countenance, aud the water
J. would be forcibly elected again. After q
If ine the mere sight of water, or even OF the
& vessels in which it was Kept, excited the
: same series OF facts; bright lighting OF the
= room, even by pushing aside the window
"a curtain. or the unexpected entrance OF a
70 person, would produce the same effect. In
= this connection, 10 may be noted that she
, took small pieces of ice without any trouble
u and would drink lemonade. Tuesday morn
= ing found her suffering terribly, with all
= symptoms worse. The wounds on the wrist
a. though healed, were redeemed, and the skin
- abraded by the constant holding of the wrists
= to which she subjected herself. The parOX-
- ysnls occurred at shorter intervals, and were
y more violent. inducing strabismus and
~ increased reflex action of the muscles. An
y attempt was made to give morphia and AGO.
mite, which was only partially successful
At 10 O'Clock az Injection of chloroforIn and
morphine were given without any percept-
ible effect. After IL she sunk rapidly Al
&c 1870 the last paroxysm took place
and at l2:45 she died, as If suffccst.
il ing, but foaming at the mouth. 1t is the
=. prevailing opinion among our medical men
=" that Imagination had not the slightest thing
ia to do with the development of this disease
D. but there is no doubt it was communicates
n by the dog, and gradually developed itself
: All the distinctive features of
III a. r THIS HORRIBLE DISEASE
: were present, even to the foaming at the
:. mouth, and it was unquestionably merciful
: that she was taken away before worse fea.
IL lures, If such thing were possible, could be
4, developed. The efforts OF the physicians in
= o~OOHOoHSO WOiO OiiOSOOu W pdAiotihE eAc
70 symptoms, and alternating the sufferings oil
r the poor ereature-efforts, it is true. that
,e were scarcely successful. She was fully con
n sciOus up to the moment of her death
% What she suffered can only beimagined by
l. rs, and is only known to her Maker and
q herself. There seems to be but little doubt
4 that the dog was rabid. He was killed by a
n lfoundryman near by with single stroke OF
a sledge hammer, and although broiling
o day the carcase stiffened and became per.
q fectly rigid within 10 minutes after dea, b.
| and saliva was seen at his mouth. A general
e exter nination of unmuzzled dogs was de-
q termined upon, aud probably not less than