Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-17
HYDROPHOBIA.
Death of Little David ZIeglcr.

Poor little David Ziegler, an account Of
whose suffe-ings from hydrophObia ap:
peared in yesterday INTELLIGENCER, died
at 5 o'clock this morning, after passing
night of inscribable agony.
When We went to press yesterday after
noon the boy appeared to be somewhat bet
ter, fromthe effect of the new South Amerl'
can specific Cucare, which had been inject
ed under the skin of the arm. Buthis relief
was only temporary, as his paroxysms soon
afterwards increased in violence and the
intervals between grew shorter and
shorter, and from midnight until o clock,
when he died, it required the efforts OF
two men to hold him in bcd-his strength
appearing almost superhuman. Between
these terrible paroxysms the child was not
only rational, but talked with the good
sense of a youth of fifteen rather than
child of six years. His greatest fear ap-
pcared to be that some harm would hap
pen to his mother, and whenever he
felt the spasm coming upon him he would
urge her to run from the room and save
herself. To his disordcred mind during
his spasms the room appeared to be filled
with horrible and dangerous objects that
were constantly mcnacing himself and his
mother. At times he would scream and
throw up his hands as if to ward them off !;
at other times he acted as though serpents
or other monsters were coiled about him,
and would use the most frantic efforts to
untwine them. He foamed ut the mouth
and his eyes glarcd fearfully, but he at no
time barked or attempted to bite, or made
any other canine demonstrations. He
seemed to be merely possessed Of
terrible fear, and every OBJ
ject around him appeared to assume
fearful form. 1t was not merely fear OF
water, but a fear of everything. In his
lucid intervals he would ask for his mcdi-
cine, which was liquid and looked like
water, and would take little of it. saying
that then hc could talk better, and would
continue to talk scnsibly until seized with
another spasm.
During yesterday afternoon and last
night, he was visited by large number OF
our city physicians, who took much inter
est in the case and made close
observations OF its wonderful mani
festations. DR.. Foreman, the family
physician, was with him almost constantly
and DIR. NJ. L. Herr spent several hours
with him, other physicians remaining for
shorter periods, but none of them could
do aught to relieve him from his indcscrib
able mental suffering. 1t is not believed
that he suffered any bodily pain, but all
his actions and every lincamcnt Of his
countenancc betokcned the most intense
terror of something horrible seen by him,
but unseen by those around his bed. Hap
PLY death relieved him about ) O'Clock,
and his pretty little face, SO distorted with
agony moment before, resumed its
wonted composure.
His funeral will take place ut half-past {"
o'clock Sunday afternoon.
We were in error yesterday in saying
that the dog that bit the little boy was at
once shot. 1t appears that it was vaiu-
able Irish setter dog, and had been obtained
by Mr.. Ziegler from Mr.. Roadman. AS it
was a family pct Mr.. Ziegler did not have
the heart to shoot it, but attempted to get
some one else to do it for him. While thus
engaged Mr.. Al. Hutton, who knew the
dog to be a valuable one and did not be.
lieve it to bc affected with rabies, said he
would take care of it. He took it away
and tied it in his premises. During the
night it broke loose. and he never saw it
afterwards. Some of Mr.. Ziegler's neigh
bors say they saw the dog next morning on
Manor street, with a collar on its neck
with piece of rope dangling 'FRONT.' it. The
dog ran off and nothing more was seen o!
it in that neighborhood. Ados answering
its description was shot about that time
august 1st) near the upper end of North
Queen street.