Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-02-09
Terrible Death From Hydro
phObia.

1GTr1OI6 1VcGtH EHOaRR 1AysAXOs
phObia.
Cincinnati Commercial.
|. Charles P. Wetmore, a young, indus
trious mechanic. of the firm OF Wetmore
& HornebroOk, builders at Hartwell, in
| this county, lies now at No. 81 Hopkins
street, the victim of an attack by hydro
| phobia that seems to have assumed the
most positive and terrible shape. Wet
more is an unmarried man, t%Wenty>six
years of age. of large, strong frame and
constitution. On Thursday last he felt
very badly, and took "a notion that ii he
could get up a strong preparation he could
lsbetter himself. He went skating for that
purpose, but the violent exercise and the
/ perspiration resulting did him he good, and
he went to bed that night feeling worse.
Friday morning he went to take a drink OF
wat, +. To his CONSERVATION he found that
he could not only not take the water into
his mouth, but that he could not force his
| land up to lis mouth with the cup. The
| effort to do this was met by a terrible ner-
vous irritation that he could not overcome.
1t is supposed that he did not, for he came
| into the city to attend to some business.
During Friday he frequently felt the pangs
of thirst, bnt could not take water. 1t was
a physical impossibility with him. He hau
the will power to drink water, he thought,
out not the power to get it to his mouth
Feeling very i'll he vent to the home Of Ills
friend, A. II. Wilson, the young son of
Mrs. Wilson, at No. 81 Hopkins street.
lie had applied to a doctor, who, not com
pretending the symptoms, had merely
gwen him a prescription and sent him to
bed.
At one O'Clock ON Saturday morning
young Wilson, finding his friend in q freli-
zied and dangerous condition OF ner souS>
| ness aroused DIR. G. l.. Armstrong, Of
| strong went around and took charge OF the
case. Finding it SO rem rkablt a case, he
consulted other physicians, who agreed
With him that it was Il case of h%yurophobla
IN a most positive Shape.
On approaching the mouse our reporter,
while yet fifty feet away could distinguish
the groans and moans of the victim, VINO
was even then, although bound with stout
ropes, struggled i'll the arms of three men.
lie was gnashing his teeth and foaming at
the mouth, and his gsoans had very much
the sound of the growing of a dog. Soon
he settled down some, under the lnfiuel ce
of a fresh h~yperdemic Injection that Dr..
Armstrong had just administered.
Ten or Cw elve years go, in his native
place, Wetmore W; S bitten by a dog. Last
summer he was again unfortunate in that
respect, being bitten four times, three
times by one dog and once by the other.
Mrs. Alden'S dog was one of them, and it
ran away and was never seen again.
1t WAS DR.. Armstrong; opinion that
this case must follow the fate OF all cases
Of the kind. Death would be the result If
it, and ali That medicine could do was to
relieve, somewhat, the horrible sufferings
of the victim and the work of those upon
urhOm WAC hmm pd fDn cad and orGy,opc
task Of watching aud holding him. Since
the attack of Friday morning Wetmore
had been able, once or twice. to speak of
having been bitten by a dog. But he APP
peared to have in his mind only the old bite
IF ten OF twelve years ago, and showed a
disposition to conceal the facts about the
bites OF last summer, although they We're
well known to his friends. At times when.
in his flights, he could command himself
enough to collect a few words he would ask,
with al awful horror in his voice AID eyes.
"Yop dent think it is that, do you2'' and
sit can't be that, can it?' And the answer
would be. "Oh, no; it can't be that" When
our reporter WAS at the house at two O'Clock
Sunday morning, Wetmore was in one OF
his most terrible spasnls. Men were hold
ing him down, although he was bound,
His groans were terrible. They resembled
the loud growls of a dog at times, and he
was frothing ~copiously at the mouth and
gnashing his teeth. An injection quieted
him for time, The paroxysms soon re-
turned however. He groaned and moaned
and CRASHED his teeth. Often his groans
took the form OF barking and howling, and
the frothing was fearful. These we're SO
terrible as to produce the final exhaustion,
His skin was observed to tuln a copperish
hue ana With this came heat and an offeii-
sive odor. Thesa he grew weaker and weak
er and weaker, liks"a s,srson dying Of long
O'Clock, when he finally bresatilted lis last.
Notwithstanding the large doses OF NOR
phia that had been used uuon him and
which would ordinarily have a tendency to
contract, the pupils OF the eyes were very
much. ailated. The corpse had the appear
ance, ip the 1ffaee; Of a person emaciated by
long disease, but the features were calm
and composed as if the END bad been pain
less.