The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-05-16
THE HYDROPHOBIA QUESTION.
L. there sach "a Diseases Opinions Of IIon
~ Hrrgh aud Dr. Hammond.

THE HiDROPHOHlA QUESTION.
L. there such "a Disease -Opiaions Of lien
~ Bvrgh aud Dr. Hammond.
Ia view of the careful history of the
case Of Richard Schweitler, OF Melrose.
made 10y DIR. krctschmar. says the New
York Herald, and in view oi the physi-
cian's positive declaration that the case
was one of hydrophohia, considerable
surprise was oocasionei 10y the result Of
the pOst-mortem examination. DR. Mac.
Winnie. who made this examination,
declared that the immediate cause Of the
death was not hydrophobia, but asphyx-
la, and the opinion of Mr., Henry Bergh
and that Of DIR. William A. Hammond
was asked for ON the bearing Of Schweit-
GERS case ON the much yexed question Of
hydruphobiA
In the post-mOrtem examination a
small tibrinous eliot was found in the left
ventriela that indicated that death was
due Ia protracted causes, not 10 sudden
violence. Bits OF the egg eaten by the
boy shortly before his death were found
in the right brunchUs and in the right
lung. DIR. MacWhinnie, therefore, de.
clarcd that death WAS caused by
asphyXia, caused by the impactlon Of
pieces Of egg IN his lung and bronchus.
Mr.. Bergh, being asked, said that he
WAS firm IN his disbelief in the existence
oi such a disease as hydrophohia. He
made distinction between mad dog
and a hydrophobic one He said he
WAS frequently mad himself, but il by
no means followed that he had the hy-
drophohia. So dog might be madden
al by ill-treatment. He might be wor-
ried into madness, but he was not neces-
sarily hydrophobic. He thought the
principal trouble III the dog question
came from its treatment by politicians,
who were not competent 10 deal with IT,
He had offered years ago 10 manage the
whole matter II the city would only pro
vide house and keeper. The Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty 30 animals
would send men around daily and scoop
up the stray dogs without charging
the city for the service.
Then DO you believe in killing these
dogs T. he WAS asked.
II must confess" said Mr.. Bergh,
that the unfortunate animals would be
better of dead than alive, and il is not
right that they should run at large,
alarming the community. But l do OBJ
lect 10 the treatment they receive nov.
Do You not consider" was the next
question, ';thAt the bite Of "A dog mad
dened by worry or other means Is more
dangerous than that OF a dog uuin-
fluenced IN that way p
why certainly il is, said Mr..
Bergh, and ne told n story OF woman
sucking II child while she WAS in a tit Of
rage and OF the consequent death OF the
child.
DR.. William A. Hammond. on the
other hand, declared, after reading DIR.
Kretschmar's history of Richard
Schweitzer's case and the account OF the
post mortem examination, that IL was
unquestionably a case Of hydruphobia.
thought il was not genuine hydro
phobia, said he, "when | read the first
accounts because they spoke Of the
child barking like q dog In psuedo
hydrophobia, which is "a hysterica,l dis
ease, superinduced by the imagination,
patients often do this, but not in gcnu-
inc hydrophobia As b the child dying
by choking, the choking WAS u symptom
Of the hydrophobia. DIR. krctschmar's
history of the case is an excellent one
and leaves no doubt as D. lis nature.
One of the strongest proofs Of II l. the
abnormal temperature. In the real hy-
drophobia the temperature IS always
high, ranging FROM l05 20 10. In the
false disease II is never raised, but al
WAYS remains normal.
II would be in favor of leaving the
whole question OF handling the dogs 70
Mr.. Bergh's society. said he, in reply
10 further questions; "for II has done a
deal OF good, aud would unquestionably
deal with the dogs in the best way; but
Mr.. Bergh is doing a great mischief by
promulgnting his disbelief in hydrupho-
bia, IN spite OF the fact that all the au-
thorities assert It's existence. 1t was
formerly denied that there was such n
disease, but no authority denies il now.
And Just so far as people are led by Mr..
Bergh TO disbelieve in the disease, just
so far will they be inclined 10 neglect
the proper measures OF precaution when
they are bitten"
at is a serious fact, a" 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. -EKcisiou Is probably
the best Of all prophylactics, and should
be performed as soon as possible. The
operation should not be done with n
niggardly hand, but every part with
which the teeth OF the animal have come
in contact shonld be removed. AS well as
the tissue into which the poison may
have become infiltrated. Cauterization
may be performed instead Of excision,
and 10 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. / 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, DIR.
Hammond said that he did not believe
in il, but would not condemn IL, because
irf disease which had never been cured
a physician was justified in doing any
thing which he might fancy would do
good.