The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-07-09
Mad Dogs.

The foo ISL excitement OF the subject oi
hydropho5ia which has stirred the commuE-
lily Tor several weeks will doubles, he inten.
siiied by the shocking death of which We
published such full accounts last week. We
shall hear fresh stories of raving sufferers in
all parts OF the country, and raveLous doss,
red-eyed and fiecked with poisonous foam,
spreading havoc through the streets. Scores
of unfailing remedies will be indicated by the
credulous who firmly believe that that they
have cured hydrophobia in their own case,
by Turkish taths, or coarse towels, or sue
ton, or madstones, or bromade of potas-
stun, or other applications which science
rejects as useless. A similar contagion of
fear has recently prevailed in England, ard
five years ago there was a mad-dog season
like this in New York and Long Island,
with the usual reflex manifestations in other
pirts OF the United States. The first result
Of the present panic is shown in the daily
police reports, which mention almost every
morning the shooting of three or four "msd
dog" after they have bitten several chill
drsn; and we shall tie fortunate If the next
consequence is not the terrifying of nervous
sufferers from a simple scratch into de ith
from hys;eris.
The latest case of genuine hydrophobis,
however, has been the subject of such close
scientific study, and the symptoms have been
80 accurately described, that We mcy hope
from it the explosion Of many a vulgar er-
Tor, and the allevi alton of much suffering
which springs wholly from the imagination
Already the common superstition that dogs
are driven mad by hot weather is pretty we'll
abandoned. We have had only three wei
authenticated cases Of hydrophobia in y "
lork-o- according TO DIR. Hammond us
two-for long time-psrhaps for severa.
years, and none of these orig mated in sum
mer. Mr.. Moves was bitten in midw inter,
Mr.. Butler in the early part Of May, Mr..
Mccormick ia'er in the same month, The
records OF hydrophobia kept by the French
Ministry of Agriculture, chow that of 800
persons bitten by mad animals during the
tive Yeas lS63-'S, SO were bitten in Spring.
"A in Summer,6i in Autumn, and as in
winter. This s-ems to confirm Il e opinion
now generally entertained that damp, wet
weather has an unfavorable effect upon the
disorder. People ill cling to the delusion.
however, that a homeless hungry street cur
Is more to be dreaded than a well-bred Del
and vet We can aecall no case of bydrorho-
bia from the bite of one of these persecut.d
outcasis which so much alarm Alderman
Norris and Mr.. Hsvemeycs.
Ms. Noyes was bitten by lsp-dog; Mr.
Butter by sick animal 10 which he was
giving medicine; Mr. M.C,rmick got HE
tat,i scratch rom a dog With viii, h he was
Playing M the shop. None of Ihes. mad
cr-s mrs. THEREFORE. the OF ly mad dogs
r"'"h vsc.r a. ly been seen rt's sps-
v : am I'll thu uuzzl
II lie Va orc- NJ I
o 1T 1T 10 hire u, lr
II "c,u. o. tie c n
;, 49, | all, e. n ,te in ib,
erl, sa.--, sd h~ir c, INST end ayors 10
'ick I 2 hs''d- md ace of their master mus,
re gIs led nj h ne utmost care Muzzle-
sre ~ur-e thau useless. and the probability
Ia that nv irritating the animal and irluring
his eenera' health they prediepose him to
take the disorder
The lesson 10 be drawn from the terrible |
story We told last week and the careful in |
ves'igation which followed il, lie short and |
simple. Don't tremble at the sight of q |
doS IN a iii. Remember that this is the time |
oi the Year when canine r,biee is most un- l
common, and that the so-called mad doee
which zealou. policemen shoot SO often are /
generally troubled With nothing but epilep-
sy, Blu, ifyou are bitten, apply at once the |
only preventative. which has any value-the
actual csuterv or surgeons knife. The
French statistics from which We have Al. /
ready quoted show that three. fourths of |
those who applied the cfutery escaped evil |
consequence, while of 66 Who neglected |
this prrcaution only 10 were saved.-N. Y.
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