The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-16

/ \ writer in the american JourHal IF Sci
eorc believes that he has discovered II new
disease. which is related to hydrophobia
and the odiOus animal, the skunk. This dis
covery he names rabies Mcphtica," and
thus relates what first called his attention &c
the novel facts presented: While on a tour
IN the Rocky Mountains, our camp was in
vaded by nocturnal prowler, which proved
to be large coablack skunk. Anxious to
secure his fine silky fur uninJured, attempt
ed to kill him with small shot, ana tailed
| lie made characteristic retaliation; ana then
rushed at me with terocity, he seized the
the muzzle of the gun between his teeth! vi
course the penalty was instant death. An expe-
rienced hunter then startled us by saying that
the bite of this animal is invariably fatal, and
that when in perfect apparent health II Is al,
ways rabid. lIerescnted our lncredulity ana
confirmed his statement by several instances
of dogs and men diving in Commissions shortly
after being thus bitten. On mentioning this
adventure to II. Il. Payne, Nj, d., who had
been camping with miners near canon CITY,
Col, he said that ut night skunks would
come into their tent making peculiar cry
ing noise, and threatening to attack them.
His companions, from Texas and elsewhere,
had accounts to give OF fatal results follow.
ing the bite of this animal. Since returning
to Kansas City, | have had extensive cores.
pondcnce with hunters, taXidermists, sur
gcons and others, by which means the par
ticulars have been obtained of forty-one cases
of Ra6ies mcphHicd, occurring in Virginia,
Michigan, Illinois, Kansas Missouri, Colora-
do and Texas. All were fatal except one
that was the case OF a farmer named Fetch
er, living near GAINESVILLE, Texas who was
twice bitten by ". m0crOulU, yet recovered
al =, 1;,,;p I'll ptb In, :
found that he was aware of his danger, and
used prompt preventive treatment. Another
case was alleged to be an exception; that of
a dog which was severely bitten in a long
fight with skunk, but whose wounds
healed rapidly and without subsequent dis
case II seems, however, that this dog after
ward died with mysterious symptoms like
those of hydrophobia in some of its less az
gravatcd forms,
The writer proceeds to give the particulars
of a large number Of Northumberland cases
of this new disease and the peculiar manner
in which its victims were affected. He con.
tnuCs: 1t is evidently the opinion of DR.,
Jancway that the maiady produced by me
phitic virus is simply hydrOphoba. Should
ne be correct, then all that is established by
these facts would be this, viz: That hence
forth the varieties of NePhiiS must be class,
ed with those animals that spontaneously
poison in the glands of the mouth
and communicate il by SalIvary incubation,
From this, as Il starting point, we might go
further and seek solution of the whole mys-
terry of hydrophobia in the theory that this
dread malady primarily originates with the
allied genera Of Hephitis, PWorjus and Nus
'ei", widely scattered over the earth; being
from them transferred to the Felidae and
Canlae and other families of animals. And
then, if it could be proved eSperimentally
hat the characteristic mephitic secretons
contained an antidote for the virus Of the sail
va, we should have the whole subject arrang-
ID very beautifully!