The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-02
THE mYDRopHoBrA QUESTION.
Is there such n Disease s-Opinions of Hem
ry Berch and DR.. Hammsnd. .

Is there such n Diseuse y-Opinions of Hem
ry Bereh and DR.. Hammond.
In view of the careful history OF the
case of Richard Schweitzer, OF Melrose,
made by DIR. Kretschmar, says the New
York Herald, and in view of the physi-
clans positive declaration that the case
was one Of hydrophobia, considerable
surprise was occasioned by the result of
the post-mortem examination. DIR. Mac
Winnie, who made this examination,
declared that the immediate cause of the
death was not hydrophobia, but asphyx-
ia, and the opinion of Mr., Henry Bergh
and that of DR.. William A. Hammond
was asked for on the bearing OF Schweit-
zer's case on the much vexed question of
hydrophobia. 1G VsE 'F
In the post-mortem examination a
small fibrinous clot was found in the left
ventricle that indicated that death was
due to protracted causes, not to sudden
violence. Bits of the egg eaten by the
boy shortly before his death were found
in the right bronchus and in the right
lung.-Dr. Mac Winnie, therefore, de-
clared that death was caused by
asphyxia, caused by the impaction of
pieces of egg in his lung and bronchus.
Mr.. Bergh, being asked, said that he
was firm in his disbelief in the existence
OF such disease as hydrophobia. He
made distinction between mad dog
and hydrophobic one. He said he
was frequently mad himself, but it by
no means followed that he had the hy-
drophobia. So dog might be madden
ed by ill-treatment. He might be wor-
ried into madness, but he was not neces-
sarily hydrophobic. He thought the
principal trouble in the dog question
came from its treatment by politicians,
who were not competent to deal with it.
He had offered years ago to manage the
whole matter if the city would only pro-
vide house and keeper. The Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals
would send men around daily and "scoop
up" the stray dogs without charging
the city for the service. 'o
"Then do you believe in killing these
dogsS" he was asked. -. ..
g. must confess" said Mr.. Bergh,
{" that the unfortunate animals would be
better off dead than alive, and it is not
right that they should run at large,
alarming the community. But do OBJ
ject to the treatment they receive now"
"Do you not consider" was the next
question, that the bite of dog mad
dened by worry or other means is more
dangerous than that of dog unin-
fiuenced in that way ?" a...0 0....
"Why certainly it is" said Mr..
Bergh, and he told story of a woman
sucking child while she was in fit of
rage and of the consequent death of the
child.
DIR. William A. Hammond, on the
other hand, declared, after reading DR..
Kretschmar's history of Richard
Schweitzer's case and the account of the
post-mortem examination, that it was
unquestionably case of hydrophobia.
I thought it was not genuine hydro
phobia," said he, "when I read the first
accounts because they spoke of the
child barking like dog. In psuedo
hydrophobia, which is a hysterical dis
ease,- superinduced by the Imagination,
patients often do this, but not in genu-
inc hydrophobia. As to the child dying
by choking, the choking was a symptom
of the hydrophobia. DR.. Kretschmar's g
history of the case is an excellent one
and leaves no doubt as to its nature.
One of the strongest proofs of it is the
drophobia the temperature is always
high, ranging from 105 to ITO. In the
false disease it is never raised, but al
ways remains normal.
"I would be in favor of leaving the
whole question of handling the dogs to
Mr.. Bergh's society,"" said he, in reply
to further questions; "for it has done a
deal of good, and would unquestionably
deal with the dogs in the best way; but
Mr.. Bergh is doing a great mischief by
promulgating his disbelief in hydropho-
bia, in spite OF the fact that all the au.
thorities assert its existence. It was
formerly denied that there was such a
disease, but no authority denies it now.
And just so far as people are led by Mr..
Bergh to disbelieve in the disease, Just
so far will they be inclined to neglect
the proper measures of precaution when
they are bitten"
"It is serious fact" he said further,
that no one has ever lived after hy-
drophobia has been developed in his
system. There is no cure for the disease
known, though it may be prevented by
prompt measures taken after the bite
has been inflicted. Excision is probably
the best of all prophylactics, and should
be performed as soon as possible. The
operation should not be done with a
niggardly hand, but every part with
which the teeth of the animal have come
in contact should be removed, as we'll as
the tissue into which the poison may
have become inaltrated. Cauterization
may be performed instead of excision,
and j. preferred by some practitioners.
Mr.. Youatt, of England, used it with
over four hundred persons bitten by
rabid animals, and never unsuccessfully.
He preferred the nitrate of silver, but
others have used the actual cautery,
caustic alkalies. I have performed ex-
cision in eleven cases and cauterization
seven times, four with the nitrate OF
silver and three with the actual cautery,
and always successfully"
AS to the treatment with strychnia
which DR.. Koetschmer employed, DR..
Hammond said that he did not believe
in it, but would not condemn it, because
in disease which had never been cured
physician was justified in doing any
thing which he might fancy would do
good. -a..
The Uses of the Ph0nOgraph.