Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-11-30
An Infant Dies of Hydrophobia.

A little child only two yaars and eight
months old, of MI. Chas. Leibrick, of Phil
adelphia died on the Goth, inst, of hydro
phobia having been bitten by a dog only
six weeks before. To a reporter of the
Philadelphia "Times" the father Of the
child gave the following story of its suffer
ing and death:
six weeks ago to day Charlie was play
lug with other children on the pavement
ip frol.t Of the beer saloon Of Joseph Elcil-
mann, Oh the southwest corner OF twenty
third and Bolton. about two -squars away
from here. EichmaNll's child was playing
with q SpitZ dog belonging to him, a. d
the dog atterw ards jumped in an apparent
ly playful man er from one child to anOth-
81, when suddenly my boy Gil out that
lie was bitten. He was taken into Eich-
mann house and then brought home.
He was then at once sent TO my family
doctor, and word was brought back that
She doctor did not think it was u dog bite.
| saw the marks when came home thai
night; one WAS on the left eyebrow and
the other on the left cheek just below the
eye. Both together were not as big as tlu
h, ad of ii tel-penny nail. did not think
item tile result of a dog bite, because the
woman who saw the child fall AS the dog
Jumped at it said that they were caused 10y
his face striking against the wheel of a
baby carriage. The marks disappeared in
twelve hours y
THE FIRST SYMPTOMS.
81 had been for a long while in the habit
OF carrying my boy after he had awakened
every morning down stairs piggy back,
4 practice he enjoyed very much, but on
last Saturday morning, for the first time,
Ee showed a fear of falling so marked and
unnatural us to excite my notice. He
played all that day with his sisters, as usu-
al, but his mother noticed he was droop-
lag. Sunday morning he was still evident
ly out of sorts, but nothing happened OF
note until the afternoon. Then his moth
Ell stripped him for the purpose of wash
ing him all over and dressing him. The
Instant the water came in contact with
his body he gave IA yell unlike any sound
she ever heard before. l came home about
6 O'Clock, aud she reported to me what had
happened. took him up stairs and sat
with him on my knee for all hour and a
half. then asked him to lie down with
ne He consented, but when 1 laid him
down he gave a yell such as l never heard
anything like in my life.''
THE DYING CHILD.
From that time he ould never lie
down, and it was then bis commissions be-
gan. These were from seven to ten min
utes apart, lasting a minute at a time. The
sight and touch of water caused them the
worst a tear that dropped from nay eye
upon his cheek threw him into conyul-
SIGN. TIE commissions lasted all Sunday
night and Monday until ten minutes past
8 o'clock in the evening, when he died very
easily. He was sensible all through his
sickness, and just before his death he said
TO his little sisters, who were crying beside
him: oh don't cry. I will pray for you
all when get to heaven His last words
were, Good night, papa
THE MEDICAL HISTORY OF THE CASE.
DR.. William A. Burns, the physician of
the Leibrick family. was visited at his Of
fee, and he gave this history of the case.
OnSunday evening last, on returning
home at 10 O'Clock. found a message from
MI. Lebrick, and at once proceeded to
his house. found the child in his moth
er's arms in the sitting room. When |
went into the room the mere motion of the
air created by my entrance touching the
child's face caused him to go into a spasm,
lasting, however, but a short time. This
hyper@sthesia. or exaggerated sensibility
the marked peculiarities of hydrophobia.
I asked, as usual what was the matter,
and Mr.. Leibrick spoke of the child hav-
ing acted strangely | examined him close
ly, and | think that when | put my hand
on aim he had another little spasm. l
had forgotten the visit of the little girl
with her brother on the day he was bitten,
rs then found but two very small abra-
sions of the eyebrow and cheek, and
thought this of little consequence, and l
now asked if the child had been bitten by
Il dog. The father screamed out; 'sOh,
my God, it is just as thought it was" l
asked for a glass OF water and it was
brought. The sight uf it threw the child
into a spasm, and with his eyes glazing, he
gulped at the glass like man with the
mania a-potu. He could not swallow and
the attempt only increased the spasm, these
spasms continued until his death.