The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-02-22
Death OF a Young Man from Hydro.
phObia.
Cincinnati Gazette


The pain, the madness, and the fatal
certainty Of hydrophobia render death
from this cause most terrible to human
being. That men are so rarely subject
to it does not lessen the feeling of horror
and repugnance with which one thinks
of an insanity most brute-like in its
manifestation, the paroxysms of which
end only with the prostration and death
of the victim. The melancholy event
now to be related is one of those which
can not be contemplated without shud-
der. Charles p. Wetmore, who lives at
Hartwell, in this county, on last Thurs
day, feeling ill, thought to relieve him
self, by violent exercise. For that pur-
pose he went skating, but found that he
felt rather worse than better. The
morning following he attempted, upon
getting up, to drink some water, and was
terrified to discover that he could not
take the liquid in his mouth, nor even
raise the cup to his lips. 1t is hardly
possible that he suspected the immediate
danger which this strange condition of
his nerves indicated. Yet he had some
reason to have anticipated the results.
Some ten or twelve years ago, as he told
his friends, he was bitten by dog.
Again, last summer he was bitten twice
or three times by dog belonging to Mr..
Cary, of the firm of HornebrOok Il Gary,
and once by a dog belonging to Mrs.
Alden, the lady in Hartwell with whom
he boarded. During his sickness he
mentioned the FIRST occasion several
times, but seemed to have forgotten the
latter cases. If he had any suspicion of
what awaited him, the matter took but
little hold upon his attention, for, in
spite of his illness, he left Hartwell last
Friday and came to Cincinnati. During
the day he was tormented with thirst,
but, though he desired water, and had
the will to drink, his nerves and muscles
refused the behests of the mind. Finally,
he became so ill that he went to the
house of Mrs. Wilson, at No. 81 Hopkins
Street, her son, A. G. Wilson, being an
intimate friend. After going to bed he
grew rapidly worse, and at one o'clock in
the morning, Mr.. Wilson aroused DIR. @.
l.. Armstrong, who called other physi-
clans in consultation, the decision of all
being that the young man was suffering
from hydrophobia. Nothing could be
done save to relieve, as far as possible,
the pain which the patient suffered.
This was done by the hourly use OF
hypodermic injections. The groans and
cries of the unfortunate man were most
painful TO hear. When the paroxysms
were at the highest, he CRASHED his
teeth, and made a snarling sound, rs a
dog might, while the foam stood upon
his lips. The physician found it neces-
sary to bind him with bands made by
rolling up wide strips of muslin. His
hands we're tied, and his legs confined by
bands around the knees and the ankles
Yet the strength of three men was re-
quired to keep him upon the bed. He
was a man of strong constitution and Of
good muscular development In these
paroxysms of pain and frenzy, alternat
ing with moments of quiet following
each hypodermic injection, the hours
passed from Friday night until Sunday
morning at half past four o'clock, when
the unfortunate man became quiet, and
grew gradually weaker and apparently
easier until his death, which occurred
about an hour later.
Mr.. Wetmore was highly respected by
his acquaintance at Hartwell. He is {
native of New Brunswick. His friends
with the exception of those Immediately
about him, seem to have had as LITTLE
thought as he of the terrible fate tina
overlook him.