The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-07-13
A Specimen Case of Hydropho-
bia,

We advise people not to be frightened
by the latest reported case of hydropho-
bia. 1t is the popular belief that this
disease is caused as the rule by tho bite
Of mad dog; but according TO the re.
ports Of the death of Andrew jackson,
which occurred in Brooklyn, and who is
said by the physicians to have lost his
life by hydrophobia, there seems to be no
more reason for this belief than for good
many others which are carefully cherish.
ed apparently FOR the sole purpose of
making people unhappy. Some nine
weeks ago Mr., Jackson borrowed large
Newfoundland dog from his employer and
took it to his own house He was very
fond of the dog and kept it at home the
next day. On his coming into the house
in the evening the dog, which had mani.
tested homesickness during the day, be.
came extremely playful, and in jumping
about, in its gladness to see him. struck
one of his teeth against the mans lips,
just breaking the skin. The man was
alarmed at once, and carefully washed
the wound out, although he did not eau.
terize it. The next day he took the dog
home, and told his employer what had
happened The latter took the animal
at once to dog fancier and told him to
watch the animal carefully for signs Of
madness. Nothing peculiar was seen in
the conduct Of the dog, which was finally
returned TO its owner, and is now said to
be in the country aud in good health.
From the moment of receiving the in
jury Mr. Jackson seems to have been
thoroughly frightened, although the
wound healed up and physicians whom he
consulted assured him that he was in no
danger, and he continually brooded over
the subject. His friends tried to laugh
him out of his fears and he would confess
that he had no ground for his anxiety.
Nevertheless his terror remained and in.
creased, and finally he died in fearful
agony, his illness and death being attend.
ed with all the well known signs of hy-
drophobia. The physicians say that it
was Of hydrophobia that he died Now,
if the facts of this case are correctly re.
poItcu' u Sftuis cltdl tltutI tHht tue con-
tact Of healthy dogs teeth with human
flesh will produce hydrorhobia, or else
that Mr.. Jackson's disease aud death
were caused by imagination. Heretofore
it has been difficult enough to procure
scientific evidence that the intentional
bite of mad dog will produce hydro.
phobia, and it therefore seems impossible
Of belief that an accidental bruise inhict.
ed by the teeth of II dog in sound condi.
tion will occasion this horrible malady. |
On the other hand, many diseases are
made more severe, and even fatal, by
the fear Of the patient, and the imagina.
tion alone is fully capable of producing
fears which for the time being are as
painful as if they were caused by some.
thing real This case then appears to
show that hydrophobia may be caused by
intense and persistent fear OF it, and to
show nothing else. During the approach
ing hot season (when dogs are supposed
to be more dangerous than in colder sea.
sons of the year, our citizens should see
to it that they are not deluded into sup.
posing that they are in danger of hydro.
phobia since that delusion 10 this instance
seems to have been the sole cause of the
fatal malady.