The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-11-23
SAD CASE OF. HYDRopHoBIA.
Death ofn Little Chiid Bitten b. n Dor Over
seven Months Aso.

Death ofn Little Chiid Bitten b, n Dor Over
seven Months Aso.
A very sad case of death by HYDRO
phobia is reported in New York, and one
which shows the workings of this terri
bic disease. The victim was a child five
years Of age. In April last, while its
nurse was taking the little one for O
walk, and just as it had lef car at a
Central Park entrance, small Spitz
dog, without provocation, sprung at it,
bit him in the face and ran away. The
under teeth of the dog caught the child
under the lower jaw, and the upper
teeth struck his face just below the eye
Qeft side). As his mouth closed the
teeth producsd only slight abrasion of
the cheek, but the tusk perforated the
upper lip and tore its way out, leaving a
clean cut of nearly half an inch in
depth. The nurse caught the child up
and ran home with him mmeliately.
His mother, as soon as she learned the
cause of the injury, commenced to suck
the wound, and continued to suck it al
most constantly until 1 saw him, says
the child's physician, who reports the
case, about an hour and half after the
accident. At this time the hemorrhage,
which had boon profuse at first, was
nearly arrested, and the wound had the
appearance of having been boiled, from
the assiduous sucking it had received.
The child was pallid, apparently from
loss of blood, which had been consider
able. Fright might have contributed
somewhat to this condition. My first
impulse was to caute1ize the wound,
but taking into account the hemorrhage
and the faithful sucking it had received,
and wishing to avoid any unnecessary
Disagreement that might result from
conformation, ! decided to close the
wound by sutures. It healed kindly,
and in the course of three or four days
the last stitch was removed. 1 had
graver apprehensions about the abrasion
on the face than about the wound in the
lip. The former, however, was so
slight that there was no oozing of serum,
even. L bathed it with solution of
carbolic acid, and hattered myself that
there would be no further trouble.
This belief was strengthened by the
fact that policeman, who saw the acci-
dent, brought dog to the station
house, and assured the mother that he
was the animal which bit the child. II
was summoned to examine him. and
found him absolutely free from any evi-
iences OF rabies. As he was vagrant
eur, the sergeant had him shot. The
policeman was offered reward if he
could produce the dog, and he, of
course, claimed that this one was the
'ulprit. The child conti1ued in good |
health, with the exception of severe |
attack of remittent fever during the |
summer, until the eighth of November:
ais mother noticed at this time that his |
was unnatural; later in the |
lay he complained of nausea, and |
7omlted few times; L saw him about |
$3.50 P. NJ. the same day; on entering the
'oom was struck by the peculiar ex-
of his face; there was evident
y great physical depression, like that
Produced by snffuse eruptlons; the
,ulse as very rapid, $50 or more per
minute, and weak; temperature one hun
lred and one and one-half degrees Fa-
respiration rapid, more than
orty minute, superficial and irregular,
Nth an occasional deep signing, or
erky inspirations. At the same time,
le would extend his head and open his
nouth as if gasping for breath. His
yes had very peculiar and indescrib-
BILE expression-more of fear. perhaps,
han anything else-and when he smiled
lis expression was frightful. If you can
imagine smiling mouth beneath two
ngry, malicious eyes, you have the pic
ure. A glass of water dissipated any
!oubts | may have had in regard to a
by producing, as soon as it
ouched his lips, terrific laryngesl
pasm, with loud outcries, and a cough
hat resembled the yelplike bark of a
ur. 1t is unnecessary for me to detail
he case further. Suffice it to say that
followed the regular course of similar
ases, and he died at last from laryngeal
pasms. induced by attempting to swal-
ow some water. For two hours previ-
US to this he had been able to drink
'ithout much difficulty. AS regards
reatment. l can only say that it was
One of the serpent pois-
rs was given at first for several hours;
his was followed by belladonna, and
nally hyosciamus was given. 1t is un-
ecessary for me to add that tho result
t the treatment was negative.