The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-09
SENSITIVE sPITZ.


THE MALIoNED PErs-sTRoSo TESTIMONY
FOR AND AGAINST THEM-sTRASoE STORIES
OF THE FATAL EFFECT OF THEIR BITE.
[Dy TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
BosfoS, March 8. 1871
Spitz dogs were under review by a legislative CON-
mitce in the Capitol during yesterday and to-day In
reference the proposition Tor law ordering the
tnc,on OF this breed OF canine pets in consideration
Of their specially poisonous character In yesterdays
a number OF ladies' and gentlemen gave testi-
mony, many OF them certifying the Spite most at
fectionatc amabc aud harmless creatures. But the
subject displayed also ITS sad and sombre side well.
Mrs Knight, OF Chelsea told In an affecting manner
OF tho death OF fifteen year.od daughter VINO suffered
all the agonies Of ydrophoba In It's form She
button by pet Sptz Sunday and died described
the following Tuesday. Inasmuch as the dog did
not appear to BIO mad the inference is that the Sptz
breed IL likely 70 be poisonous under all circumstances
In the case OF the child Of Mr.. Alley. OF wenham,
who died terrible death, the Sptz mad nj
the timc. and only moment before the child Bit
tho dog had taken a drink Of water The attack OF
hydrophobia in this until some six weeks
after the bite.
Elijah Morse, OF Canton, described tho death OF .
at Hyde Park recently, resulting from tho bite
Of a Spite dog.
WAS 1T HYDR0rHoBIA OR FRIGHT
ThOmas CUNNINGHAM, oil SOmcrvllc, gave
tended account OF tho death Of Mr. Daniels, OF omer
vile, letter carrier u few weeks since. Tho dog,
which spaniel, and not SPITE, had bitten Mrs
Daniels nrst but she did believe he was mad and
trouble resulted from tho wound. Mr. Daniels
punished the dog, and in turn was himself bcn quite
severely. Mrs Daniels Immediately sucked largo
quantity Of blood from the wound, and physician
called and dressed IT, Tho dog became very SICK
not violent. and died quietly the next day In Mrs.
Daniels lap Tho wound Of Mr.. Daniels seemed to
heal up, but his friends kept talking to him about
until he at length became nervous and In his alnrm
began to read medical works on hydrophobia.
"Nellie," he said day 10 u niece OF
his the Post ONCE, III have made
my last route, aud you tell the boys have CONC
homo 10 de-" He went home, continued 10 grow
worse, and nothing could mako him believe that he
would get we'll Hc declared TO Mr.. Cunningham that
he would die quietly, tho dos had died, and his pre-
dic,on was verified. Al no timc did no exhibit any
violence, frothng, or swapping or sDaIling, is
usual in cases OF hydrophoba. II was Mr.. Cunning
hams opinion that Mr. Daniels died wholly from
fright, Tor # the dog had been mad why would not
Mrs Cunningham's wound have proved fatals Tho
physicians, however, all pronouncedit genuine
of hydrophobia, and furthermore 1t was subsequently
learned that the spaniel which Inflicted tho wound
upon Mr.. Daniels and his wife had low days before
been bitten by rabid Sptz IN Brighton. Mrs. Daniels
up this has felt III effects from her wound.
CHARACTER.
To-day's hearing was attended by quite number of
ladies' and gentiemcn and the door Of the committee
room was guarded by fine specimen OF the black
Sptx Mr.. o. Frank King, OF Boston, testified that no
mad raised half dozen SPITE dogs, and that he had
been bitten by them nino times. He had mover been
troubled, he did consider the breed specially
dangerous DR.. A. II. Ncos gave tho opnon OF meal
cal experts relative TO rabies, and quoted from Ziems
sens .Practicc OF Mcdciue" Tho general tenor OF
his remarks was there evidence that SPITE
dogs wcro any more liable 10 rabies than any other
species, and tnat their bite not any more dan
gerous. MIR. Richards, OF Boston, gave his
experience with Spiz dogs OF the general tenor that
their bite dangerous Mr.. G. q. Kimball OF
Lawrence had owned Ave Sptz dogs at different times
1868 ana had raised two OF them himself He and
his wife had both been b,tten by them without any
serious results. He had wide observation Of Spz dogs
and did consider them dangerous Mrs Talbot, OF
Boston, thought that pure Spiz dogs should DO trained
differently from other dogs, and that they should not
be exposed TO the Shc had brought up three Of
tho pure Sptz breed, and thoy were very much ike
children requiring much care wncn they were teeth
Ing She dId not consider them as dangerous ms the
black variety and they were The most intelii
gent dogs she knew She had been bitten by them
and trouble followed
HYDROPHoBIA DELUsIoN.
james Joy, OF South Boston, had owned a female
Spliz Tor i've years raised four pups. They
nervous dogs, aud II cornored they would
bite. He thought hydrophoDa was a delusiOn, as no
had bitten by all kinds OF dogs He never knew
a Spitz dog go mad. He would rather oo bitten by
dog than W horse or man. Ho was bitten by
u very sore hand He thought that Spitz needed
better and different treatment than other varie-
ties. and they needed more water
This concluded the SPECIAL hearing relative to SpitZ
dogs and the committee took up the various petitions
relative to further protection from dogs in general