The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-22
Esygtrouiiobtn.

| A MAN WHO WAS BITTEN BY MAD DOG TELLS
TIE STORY OF HIS sArETY-SuCKING THE
! WOUND AS 4 MEANS OF CURE.
TO the Editor Of the Tribune:
Sir.-In the year 1924, being at the time
about fifteen years Of age. and the Junior
deputy clerk of The County Court OF Henri.
co county. in Virginia, I was bitten in the
hand by small dog kept on the public
grounds, and immediately after sucking the
wound went home, thinking no more of the
matter. As was about entering the grounds
in the morning, the guard who watched the
jsil mentioned that the little dog was mad,
and hid been secured in closet. On open
| ing the door | saw the animal that had
bitten me. and, pushing vessel of water
close TO him. found from his actions
that the guard was right. The dog knew me
Very well, aud it was upon casual meeting,
in passing through the gateway to the office,
stepping over IN elevation of about q foot in
height, that this old acquaintance the after
noon before snapped ut me, intlicting wound
| between the root OF the thumb and forefn-
ger OF the lett hand. 1t soon became known
10 Mr.. Ellet, the clerk, that had been bit
| ten. and he instantly dispatched messengers
| Tor doctors. The first 10 arrive was DR..
Dove soon afterward came Dr. Went, DR..
| Watson, DR.. McAuley. and others, eminent
surgeons OF Richmond; and after consulta.
! ton it was decided to cut out the flesh TO the
| depth Of the wound. | mentioned that |
had thoroughly sucked the wound, taking
| the prccaution not to swallow the
poison. and that felt no alarm but it was
considered safest 10 cut out the wound, and
| submitted. DR.. Dove, who was told by his
colleagues that he should have done this in
S;autly on his arrival, rs the object was TO
keep the poison out OF the circulation, pro
ceeded 10 probe and cut out tic flesh aud
subsequently wished to make deeper cut,
| but tins | refused to permit. as told him in
advance that he must be certain TO cut deep
enough. Is | should allow only one attempt.
\ curious condition of things then arose,
first Indicated to me by remark of DR..
Dove, which | overheard as the physicians
and Mr. Ellct stood together in the yard
- 1t will affect his youthful mind flvorahly,' -
! followed by another in contemptuous tone
by DIR. Went, :" | have no faith in stones"
Presently Mr.. Elct mentioned that
he wished me to 90 to the maidstone owned
by Dr. Humphrey Sale. in Caroline county,
and was soon upon spirited horse for 4
ride Of about sixty miles. On the second
day reached Dr.. sale. The maidstone was
applied. 1t was about one inch and 4 half
long, half an inch wide, and quarter thick,
and had a little the appearance OF hone OF
fine grit. and had two coiorS, Il >laty and
also Il yellowish hue. After the stone
was applied. and secured by q bandage
over slight frame Of wood, which kept
the hand open, l was allowed to run about
his farm for two days, when the stone was
removed, dropped into glass OF tepid water
by the doctor. aud held up to see il such
bubbles rs flow up from fresh glass OF
champagne should arise. | watched the
glass curiously. but none arose. There Is
no poison in your hand,' said the doctor.
He stripped me Of all the money l had.
about S223, to pay for the experiment.
On my return, cauStic was applied to the
wound by DR.. Dove, have supposed more
to please my mother than for any useful pur-
| pose. For years afterWard her anxiety gave
me more pain than | myself suffered, and
especially as some dogs bitten by the one in
| question went mad. She knew all the sta
| tIStcS of such bites, wherever they occurred,
how many years interviewed in different cases
before the virus had effected death, and
never felt that | was safe. although my as
>urance> were often repeated that had left
no poison in the system, even if any were
| deposited. AS the dog perSpircS solely
through the tongue. and not ut all through
the skin. and the POISON results simply from
The failure of the tongue to perform this
office, loading tile mouth with diseased mat
ter, was always ready to treat the bite OF
dog Is this one was treated.
| have written this more with q view to
point out al eilcctual remedy for the bite Of
rabid dog than for any other purpose. The
disease in the animal is probably due to a
| want OF water in the summer, when streams
are dry, and in the winter when they are
frozen, a. without drink there cannot be
pcrSpiration. 1t should be the care of own
ers TO afford the dogs ut all times access to
| water.
l have beautiful 81. Bernard, taught to
protect sheep from stray dogs, and it is a
great part of my delight to meet him on
visiting my farm, but after an intcrregnum
of few months he Sprang at me rs opened
Il door upon him suddenly, in iorgettulncss
on my part that my face. covered with q
fresh growth of hair, might not he known
to him. As | shut the door. incloslnS him
in the room which be guarded, his nose came
in contact with my clothing, and he informed
NE by his tones of grief that he knew that
| ii was his old master he had attacked. In Il
moment we were friends, but dearly as we
! love each other, be might have bitten me at
the cost OF my life, as it may be that any
| disease of the mouth of 4 dog introduced
into the circulation Of a human being may
i'll time become developed into what is called
| hydropbobia. q. Is. 3.
Ner York, June IS, 1874.
HYpRoPHoBIA.-Th melancholy death of
| Mr. Rutlpr the IyelI.knOWn dOg.fauclcr who