Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-10-13
A WOMAx's TERRIBLE AGONY.
Fearful scene at the Deathbed Of n Hydro
phohin Victim.

phObia Victim.
The death of Mrs. Lizzie Webber from
hydrophobia in the Boston Hospital was
attended by most horrible symptoms.
On the 3lst day of July she was
bitten through the nail of the middle
finger Of the right hand by her pet dog,
a black-and tan. Some boys IN the
street were worrying and teasing the
dog, until at last the animal, goaded to
anger, turned and bit six persons, four
adults and two children. Five of them
promptly had the bite cauterized, and
the sixth is unknown. Mrs. Webber, to
punish the dog, grasped him and cuffed
his ears, when he bit her finger as stated.
Three hours after the infection of the bite
she went to the Massachusetts General
Hospital to have the same operation per-
formed, but the doctors told her it was
too late to be of any service. She
thoughtno more of the matter, and expert
enced no i'll effect, until a recent Friday,
when she had q severe headache, and
the next day she experienced severe
pain extending from the right shoulder
down to the hand-which she thought to
be q touch of rheumatism. On the sue
ceeding Sunday she was chilly all day,
and at night experienced a violent heart
beating, and great difficulty in breathing
the breath coming in short, quick
gasps. Two prominent physicians were
i'll attendance, but she could not take
their medicine. They decided the case
to be bad cold. Monday the patient
kept her bed-the breathing difficulty
increasing. with great nervousness.
The slightest noise, such as the closing
of door or the moving of fan, or
sound of a footstep, would cause her to
jump violently to the floor, and it re-
quired the united efforts of her attend
ants to quiet her. She began to show
great aversion to water but the doctor
had no suspicion of the real nature of
the disorder, which gradually grew
worse and worse. She expressed de-
sire for various articles of food and drink,
but when they were offered to her she
found herself utterly incapable of eating
or drinking anything in fact, from Sun
day morning until the hour of her death,
Tuesday afternoon, she ate and drank
nothing. At times, Tuesday afternoon,
she felt quite easy, and the next mo-
ment the severe gasping for breath
would come on, and she would Jump up
and down and dash wildly about. She
would grasp her attendants by the dress
and thrust as much as she could into
her mouth, telling them at the same
time, however, that she would not bite
them. She was next seized with severe
and unmistakable commissions, accom-
panied by frothing at the mouth. Nor
phine was given. Then pail of scald-
ing hot water was procured, and the pa
TENTS feet placed in it. One of the
lady attendants poured hot water upon
the head of the victim, all of which she
bore without finching, in fact she de-
clared it made her feel better. At times
she would stamp her feet upon the floor
SO rapidly and violently as to shake the
house, and in the meantime her difficult
ty in breathing increased. Another trial
of the water pail caused her to bound
back to the other side of the bed, and
experience severe CONFUSION. She
was taken to the hospital, in a sort of
ambulance, held by fastenings around
her body. On the way she made growl-
ing or barking noise. At the hospital,
where, about three-quarters of on hour
"lCol uer arrival, SDe WAS lying appaf-
emily comfortable, she suddenly gave
her arms and feet violent twich, her
countenance turned black, and she
breathed her last. After her death o
consultation was had by the physicians
at the hospital the best authorities upon
the subject of hydrophobia were looked
up and quoted. and it was unanimously
decided by the physicians that it was ga
genuine case of hydrophobia.