The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-07-24
The Rarity OF HydrOphObia.

Dr. Edward S. Smith, an old and ex-
perienced veterinary surgeon, has given
the following opinion about hydropho-
bia, it's causes and its preventives
When Il person has been bitten by
a mad dog, it is generally thirty or forty
days before any development of the dis
ease Is perceptible, or he becomes az
fected with the disease. The first symp.
toms of hydrophobia are as follows
The bitten part becomes very painful,
and the whole system begins to be at
fected. The wounded part becomes
hard and elevated, and sharp pains shoot
from it through the entire system to the
brain.
"The terror of having it is altogether
out of the proportion to the danger of
taking it. The actual danger, in fact,
of having hydrophobia is not fftieth
part 50 great as of being struck with
lightning, about which people have
comparatively but very little concern.
And our advice to all who may be bitten
by dog, and who wish to avoid all bad
results therefrom, is to have the bitten
part laid open by the knife to the very
bottom as soon as possible after the ac-
cident has happened, and to thoroughly
cleanse the parts with a strong solution
of table-salt and water. After drying
the parts well, cauterize the wound with
nitrate of silver, and be sure you get to
the bottom of the wound with your
caustic. Wet the diseased part several
times a day with a strong solution Of
done, the safer the patient; and if prop
erly done soon after the bite, the success
will be almost certain, and the patient
need have no apprehension of the con
sequences. Having been bitten by dogs
myself several times during my veterin-
AIRY practice, and knowing OF several
other persons who have been bitten by
dogs when sick, L have treated them in
the manner here described. No bad
results whatever have ever occurred
therefrom.
"NIr. Butler, l believe, did not die Of
hydrophobia, but of lockjaw, or teta-
nus. Tetanus is generally developed in
from eight to twelve days after the
wound is received, or the injury which
is the cause of it. 1t may, however,
arise from irritating substances in the
stomach, and exposures to cold while
the pores are open and the body is in
a profuse perspiration. The lockiaw is
much more frequent in warm than cold
weather.
eff we set apart one case out of every
hundred of cases reported as canine
madness, we should overestimate the
number of animals suffering from this
form and character of disease. The ami
NAL is suffering from mental derange-
ment of the brain. The cause of this
abnormal state of the brain is the want
of proper hygienic care their food has
been scanty and in most cases putrid, or
else the dogs have been unable to pro.
cure water, and they must suffer at the
hands of street roughs of all ages.
What can we expect from this cruel and
inhuman treatment other than a crazed
brain and great excitement of the nerv-
Gus system?
81 should mention one point. Many
female dogs are said to have hydropho-
bia. In an experience Of twenty-five
years devoted to veterinary service l
have never seen female dog afflicted
with this diseases nor have l seeh a
we'll authenticated case recorded by any
authority And / can in truth assert
that in forty-nine cases out of every
fifty where persons have been bitten by
dogs, and have died, the disease has
been lockjaw and not hydrophobia. -
NeW York Post.