The Portland daily press., 1878-05-17
HYDROPMOBIA,
A Man Dying of This Terrible Disease
A Description of the Remarkable Case
The Physicians Powerless,

n DescripttOA OF tine hemarkable Case
The Physicians PowerIess.
There is good deal of excitement among oul
city physicians over case of hydrophobia al
Lgonia Village. It is the first case of this
terrible disease that has.ever been reported in
this vicinity and naturally excites UGH alarm,
not only among medical men, but among the
neighbors and friends Of the victim.
The facts Of the case, as related BY q
gentleman who has seen the patient several
times aud Is familiar with his history. are as
follows: George Mcfarland, who has been
employed as night watchman at the ROLLING
Mills since the violent death of Moody, haa ]
large Watchdog which accompanied him to the
mill each night. The dog was q cross between
coach and bulldog, and while he was much
! attached to his master, was rather cross to
strangers. About the middle of February last
this dog was taken sick and hid himself away
in the stable. On the 14th day of that month
Mr.. Mcfarland entered the stable, and going to
where the dog was. began to pet him. The
animal did not at first pay any attention to the
caresses, but after while raised his head and
deliberately bit the right thumb of his master,
making quite wound in the member. The
man was enjoying the best of health at the
time of this accident and the wound healed
very readily without any treatment whatever
The fact that he had been bitten by sick dog,
however, kept clinging to him in spite Of his
efforts to get rid of 1t, and at last be had the
dog killed, and for three months has been as
well as ever.
About week ago, however, Mr.. McF arland
began to feel rather poorly, but nothing alarm
ing. His wife said she noticed he brought back
about all the Lunch she gave him to take to the
mill at night He continued ct his work, how
ever, and never once Thought that his indispo-
sition was caused by the bits of thu dog. As
time progressed he ate less and less and at
times he would feel q nervous sensation run
from his thumb which had been bitten, through
his arm to his shoulder. Even these sensations
did not keep him from work and he ate little
something each day up to Sunday, since which
time he has not taken q morsel of food. he
continued to take little liquid nourishment up
to Tuesday. Tuesday night last he went to
work In the mill as usual, and Notwithstanding
the fact that he bad partaken of SO little food,
he was feeling quite we'll when he left his
home. During the night. however, he was
taken sick and vomited gate freely. He how
ever continued to work until morning.
Wednesday morning prominent city phys-
clan was summoned. The physician found the
man in very bad condition, but it was some
time before he could make up his mind what it
was. While he was there the man had bad
spasm, which was produced by speaking of
water. His mouth was very dry, and he was
suffering intensely. An attendant sought to
alleviate his thirst with ice. A small piece
was placed in his mouth, but it had no sooner
touched his tongue than it was expelled with
such force as to go the length of the ROOM
Yesterday morning the physician visited him
again and found the symptoms of hydrophobia
so strong that he at once made up his mind
that that was the disease. Not feeling certain,
however. and never having seen case he re-
turned to the city and got brother physician
to visit the patient with him. The two drove
over in the afternoon and found the man sit
tiog up in bed apparently suffering but little,
and in quite good condition His mind was
perfectly clear and he conversed with the ply
sicians about his casa quite calmly. While
they were consulting about his case one OF
them held up bottle containing liquid
preparation, and the very sight of that liquid
sent him into spasm. He would sit up In
bed and as he felt the spasms coming on would
grasp the foot Of the bed and hold on with all
his might until the struggle had passed. At
such times his mouth would fill with frothy
saliva which had to be wiped from his lips. As
sooon as he felt little relieved he began to
talk to the physicians of his army record. He
went through the war and never was sick q
day nor ever received q scar from the thirty
battles he participated in. He was promoted
to Lieutenant As he spoke of his army life
he showed much animation, and arose from
the bad, walked across the room and took from
drawer diary which he had kept while in
the army. As he put it away his strength be.
fRRt e e. FIJI fsaahsd Els bed The e1eron was too
much for him for terrible spasm bsgan at
once. He reached down and took hold of the foot
of the bed as before, but he had no sooner
touched it than it snapped like pipe stem,
His strength was so great that he motioned the
attendants from him fearing he might iniure
them. His movements were all spasmodic.
He would commence to talk and all at once
would be taken with terrible spasm and it
would be some time before he could finish.
His saliva was foamiDg out of his mouth in
large quantities all the while. 1t was sticky
froth and his throat was very dry. He suffered
terribly for the space of half an hour when he
became more calm and told the physicians that
he was satisfied that he. could not live long.
As there was likelihood of repetition of
these attacks the physicians injected strong
opiate and left him.
Last evening five or six of the most promi-
nent physicians in this city visited the patient,
and they were all of the opinion that the case
was one OF hydrophobia and that the man
could not recover. The injection given in the
afternoon had Quilted him to great degree, but
he was still in 80 precarjous a condition that
merely speaking the word water in his pres
ence would throw him into spasm. Every
thing was done for him that could be, and
number Of young physicians went over to spend
the night and watch the progress of this very
remarkable case. Another consultation of
prominent physicians will be held at 9 O'Clock
this morning if the man is alive at that hour
What may be.a strange thing to those who
know but little about this disease is the fact
that the thumb which was bitten is entirely
healed and is not the least sensitive. There is
no swelling nor mark of disease about it.
Mr.. Mcfarland is a man about 30 years of
age and has large family. He is member
of the sGrand Army and Army and Navy
Union, and has always been hard working
industrious man, and his neighbors and fellow
workmen speak we'll of him.
A small dog that was playing about the sick
dog, about the time that Mr.. Mcfarland was
bitten. was known to have been bitten also, and
was killed yesterday to prevent any further
difficulty arising from the bite.
Lest this case may excite needless 'alarm in
the minds of persons who have been bitten by
dogs, it may be well to say that it is settled
that hydrophobia never results simply from the
bite of cross dog. 1t is a disease and the
animal must have it himself before he can
communicate to human being. All dogs are
liable to it, however, and it would be advisable
tlxI,