News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-09-28
A SHOCKING FATE.
THE DREAD DISEASE THAT RE
SUITED FROM A DOG BITE.
Death ofMrs. Elizabeth Guckert from
rophobia-TerribIe Sufferings
Ofthe Patient.

A letter from Reading, Pa, says -
Mrs. Elizabeth Guckert, aged fifty years,
whose sufferings from hydrophobia have
already been described, died in great
agony Thursday afternoon. All of
Wednesday night she was kept under
the influence of powerful opiates. Hy-
podermic injections of morphine were
also administered in her right arm,
near the spot that had been torn and
lacerated by the dog.
To friend who sat near her bed she
remarked: -"Oh, Maggie, stay with me
all night; I know must die and when
1 get to heaven I'll pray for you" She
remained awake all night and appeared
to be very much exhausted. About
seven o'clock Thursday morning her
two daughters-ten and twelve years
old respectively were admitted to her
room and very painful interview took
place, their mother telling them that it
was their last meeting, as she was about
to die.
Subsequently she became more vic.
lent and toward noon was writhing in
terrible spasm. Her throat was para
lyzed, and the sight of water threw her
into violent commissions; shortly after IL
o'clock she became conscious, and re-
marked that she was burning with in
ternal heat. Her eyes had a dull,
vacant stare. She complained of ter.
rible pain about the heart and was
perspiring profusely. Her efforts to
get breath were most painful to look
upon. She gasped violently, and as
she inhaled the air with her lips she
struggled desperately to try and force
it into her lungs.
The most singular noise was the re-
suit. She would gnash her teeth in a
snappish-like way, and the sound that
followed was not groan nor bark,
but rather resembled a low, plaintive
whine of dog. Crowds of people con-
gregated in the vicinity of the house
and many below the windows of the
sick chamber could hear the cries of
the sick patient. Tears flowed freely
among the women and children, some
of whom pitifully inquired how long
the poor woman's misery would con-
tinue.
At one o'clock the patient was
bolstered up in bed and sat nearly up
right. She was then shaking, gasping
and noisily struggling for breath. Her
fingers had turned blue. She was IN
conscious and recognized no one. Kind
neighbors were at both sides of the bed
holding her and preventing her from
jumping out. For half an hour the fit
was very severe. Her eyes and mouth
opened and shut rapidly and at the
same time and accompanying each
struggle there was the same sickening
sound. that SO unpleasantly reminded
the listener of the whine of a dog.
Then came her last conscious mo
ment. She gazed around her with an
indescribable look of despair, threw up
both her arms with groan and told
one of the attendants to listen to her
heart beating. To the last she believed
she was dying of heart disease. At a
quarter to two o'clock the final fit left
her and she was as weak as an infant.
With her weakness came more severe
struggle for breath, and the noise be-
came louder.
Few dry eyes were in the house.
About ten minutes before two O'Clock
her head dropped to one side and she
was lowered to reclining posture. She
became quiet, her muscles relaxed. her
breath made piping noise and consid-
cradle froth emerged from her mouth.
She then stretched herself at full length
and expired. Many persons outside the
the house loudly thanked God that her
sufferings were ended.