New-York tribune., 1876-05-22
UTDROPHOBIA.
speech.

Once more there is the public alarm ABOUT
bydrophobia which is sure to recur with the
return of warm weather. We admit that the
recent instance in Newark is a painful one
Several members of q family were bitten a
few weeks ago by favOrite dog. One OF
them, a Girl of twelve, died on Saturday morn
ing with all the symptoms usually believed 10
Indicate canine madness. The wounds OF the
others have been cauterized, but OF course
their anxiety must be great. The animal beng
secured in his kennel was found dead. 1t Is
with great reluctance that physicians nave
admitted the existence OF such ulsease aS
bvdrophobja at all; but we fear that facts
are too strong to authorize much skepIi-
cism. Too many deaths have occurred ex-
biblting identical symptoms, following tie oitcS
of dogs unequivocaly afflicted Ill the same
way. At the same time, our knowledge OF the
real nature of the disease is FAR from precise
or satisfactory. There seems to be no hXed
period intervening between the bite OF the
dog and the disorder of the patient. Ot TWO
persons bitten by the same dog at the same
time. one may die and the other escape.
Sometimes cautcry is followed by immunity
and sometimes it is not. Sometimes the
disease may appear to yield TO meaici
treatment other than mechanical, yet even III
such eases there has been no uniformity OF
.practicc All this undoubtedly adds to the
terror with which hydrophobla IL pOpulariy re-
cardcd. A resort to cautery Is shown by
expcricncc TO be safest. This, however, must
not be DELAYED. In all those cases III which IL
is supposed to have been eifcctual, it was at
once employed aftor the wound In Newark
il was not tried at all upon the deceased
though the other members OF thc
family bitten have since submitted
to it, We think it may be lald
down as n rule, that if there be such n disease
as hydrophobia, cautcry is the only treatment
promising safety; and therefore, since 1t Is I'M
possible to determine whether the dog Is mad or
not, every person bitten by that animal should
cause the wound to be cauterized with the
least possible delay. So well is tins underatood
that those whose business requires them to
handle many dogs always carry the caustlc
with them ready for any emergency. |eterl-
nary surgeons claim that they have frequently
been bitten by dogs Enthusiastically mad, aud have
escaped all i'll consequences through this pre-
caution.
The annual massacre of dogs diminiShes the
number of cases of hydrophobia by diminish
ing the number of auima,s by whom 1t may
be communicated to man. Still, experience
shows that it is not alone the vagrant, home
less, il-trcated dog that is likely to go mad,
for the pets of the parlor and the kennel are
equally exposed to the disease. Ii is not
known whether it is self-OriginatinS or
whether it can be communicated only by in
oculation, but it is known that the animals
most tendcrly cared for may at any time be
afflicted by it. Those who find Tray, Blanche,
and Sweetheart necessary to their comfort
must run the risk. 1t must be admitted that
this is snail. Even among dogs the disease is
an extremely rare one; and many dog goes
mad and dies without biting the human sub
ject. The statistics of hydrophobia need occa-
sion no more panic than those of persons
killed by lightning. Those who do not keep
dogs are almost as likely to be bitten rs those
who do |; and as we shall hardly be rid of the
creatures altogether, we must take our chance
of this curious disease, and trust in this case,
as in so many other matters, to a benevolent
Providence.