The New York herald., 1877-03-18
THE DEATH OF MR.. LOOMS.

HyDRoPHoBIA CAUSED BY THE BITE OF A STRAY
DOG, NOT SPITE.
The melancholy death OF Mr.. Nathaniel H. Loomis
in Brooklyn Friday last has awakened painful
the subject Of nydrophoba and the danger
which people run by keeping dogs in large cities.
The feeling manifested In many quarters against tho
faithful quadruped that has for centuries occupied
place OF preference by the sdc OF man seems to run
very high indeed. Some people opinc that dogs, as
general rule, should suffer the extreme penalty and be
put under tho ban OF society; others again think
that they ought always TO be chained excepting when
required in the chase guard their masters prem
ises 1t was remarked as a significant fact that
among the Indians down in Mexico and other parts OF
Span ish America, whcro large numbers OF the worst
specimens OF tho canine kept hy hydrophobia Is
rarely known In such portions OF tho country,
in the towns, villages, camps and lodges, the dog is
most familiar companion. Children play with him,
boys him. and when angercd he frequently bites
his tormenlors or assaiiants yet does not appear
either that the dog nctng the wound the wounded
party is anything tho worse for 1t.
TIlE DOG THAT BIT HIM.
The dog that bit Mr.. Loomis was rather large onc
dark brown and awny white color, with long, soft
sssetter'' and tho 'pointer" Tho ortunare
renee took place Tho evening OF the 9th OF January
last.
The girl who lives with The family into the
n front OF the house leave out tho milk pitcher"
land saw strange dog lying under the veranda Tho
animal was at rest; tired as IL recently pur
sued, and when the young woman ried 10 get away
the dog, she says looked angrly At her. She called
Mr.. LOOMS, VINO came out, and, on seeing The brute,
remarked that 1t was a pretty dog; that some one
must have lost It, and that he would keep It IN me
back yard until some one would claim It, lie
tnereupon attempted to lay hands on. tho
dog, which had locked collar around It's
neck when 1t turned upon him and bit MN in the
thumb Mr.. Looms at this became alarmed, his
wounded finger blcd little, and he took the precau-
ton 10 have the wound cauterized without loss OF
time The lengthy reports which had lately been pub
shcd about nydrophobia caused him much uneas.
ness. With these before ns mind the consciousness OF
being wounded by an unknown, perhaps mad dog,
troubled him greatly. He could not get rid OF the
thought that something very serious had hap
pened TO him. and IN the short period OF Tow brief
weeks his morbid Imagination had largely " not en-
tircy ed TO bring about that fearful contn-
gency which the unhappy man laoorcd SO hard 10
AVOID.
Mr.. Loomis on last Tuesday morning with
gentleman friend 10 New York. Tho friend, avubt-
less pcrcelving some symptoms oil rcsessncss III ms
companion, asked Mr. Looms how no feit The latter
replied that he felt II he had caught severe cold.
He chilly, and complained that the arm OF the BIT
ten hand felt sI aud sore. uuder great depression
of spirs and suffering mentally as well as bodily, tho
fated man returned Brooklyn that night aud never
lett his house again alive he readers oil these COL
umns are aware hat after suffering intense pam,
accOmpa nied by some oi the symutoms usually atiri-
nutcd 10 hydrophoba, Mr. Looms breathed his last on
Friday morning-oniy thrce days alter his hrst illness
from this cause
who had attended the deceased, could not be found
yesterday afternoon at his residence ana Dr. Thaycr
VINO had been called in the last hour, declined abso-
utely give Information whatever as TO the pro-
fesslona or scientific bearings Of this nguar case.
WHAT CoRREsP9NDESr SAYS.
To THE Eproa THE fIsRALD;-
Our local paper quite inaccurate in It's account
last Of the death from hydrophOba OF esteemed
fellow citizcn M \. H. ioomis. but the HERALD this
m1ing contains very correct statement Of "a tne ease
Ta Ss ys" " % dog