The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-07-19
What Is It
From the St. Louis Republican

From the ct. Louis Republ1canl
Who shall decide when doctors disagree, ,
For the last four weeks, eminent men Of
the medical profession in New York, led
by Surgeon Gen. Hammond, have been in.
qairing earnestly and scientifically into ths
cause of hydrophobia. and the probable
method Of it's cure. The result is repre-.
sented by nil. After four weeks of Der.
sistent inquiry they have not only failed to
agree as to the cause of the disease, but
have failed to agree as to what is hydro
phobia. Three prominent cases of deaths
of men from assumed bydrophobia have
been before them on which to diagnose
result, each of which had it's strong pecuIr
features of interest Butler ignoring rsbs
as cause of death, and maintaining alnst
to the last that death resulted from effsn
of fear on the imagination, died as all 3D.
mitted from the bite of a mad dog, which
was killed after biting other persona. Thu
bitten by dog, had all the symptoms Of
hydrophobia and died of hydrophobia, "a
several of the doctors admit, and yet the
dog was not considered mad at the time be
bit the man, has not been mad since, andis
said to be alive and we'll at this momeut
The third case-equally remarkable-i,
that of printer named Entwistle, who,
although bitten, did not present in bis
death any of the usual horrible attendant
symptoms of hydrophobia. but died out Of
absolute fear of rabies. The cases of Nc.
Cormick and Entwistle present singular
test features. The first dies of hydrophobis
after being bitten by dog that is not mad,
and the other dies Of fear alone, and not Of
rabies, after being bitten by dog that is
mad. How can such apparent inconsistent
cies be reconciled with any theory or his
torical record of this disease, and yet spite
of these difficulties in the way of a solution
of this fearful problem, the doctors are still
inquiring, determined if possible either to
bless the world with discovery of their
own, or to create an ambition in Others to
pursue the inquiry elsewhere, until some.
thing definite is known. Difficult degluh-
tion and spasmodic action of the laryngeal
and phary muscles are recognized@
attendant symptoms of the disease, but 90
much was known before, while the doctors
differ in their testimony as to general
horror of water in cases of rabies, some
affirming the traditional belief, and Others
as positively denying it. In the case Of
Butler it will be remembered that there
was no dread of water or of liquids, but
simply the presence Of q physical impos
sibility of conveying the liquid to the
mouth, though attempted by Butler him.
self with all the strength of his will and the
exertion of his muscular power. Surgeon
Gen. Hammond aud his professional COL
leagues seem to be working assiduously on
this question, in q community, too, that
has been greatly excited on this subject
and there is some hope that discovery
may be made which will relieve US from
the fatality of this truly dreadful malady,
even as Jenner discovered that vacclnatlon
was a specific cure for variola. AS it look
at present, the diversity of opinion IS be-
tween fright and rabies.