The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-09

Wassv AlbersOn Dies I'm Horrible Con
vaIsiens Many Months After
He was Bitten.
PHILADELPHIA Times. |

VI VII tug loltl Oh OCtDDtl
last young Alberson, while playing with
a half-brced Spitz dog belonging to
one OF his fathers neighbors, was Sc
yerely bitten in the hand. The dogs
teeth penetrated the feShy part OF
the palm, and their withdrawal caused
n severe laceretion OF the wounds
they had made. As soon as possible
after the biting the boy was taken to DR.. f..
+. Meeser, OF 1912 south Thirteenth street,
and the wounds were thoroughly cauter-
lied with nitrate OF silver. When his
father heard OF the biting he demanded the
killing OF the dog, being actuated by the
popular delusion that the death OF the dog
is a sovereign protection against hydropho-
bia, and the owner killed the animal the
next day. This precaution and the eau
teriZat0n OF the wounds fully satisfied the
father, and the little boys hand soon healed
and left scarcely scar. Throughout the
months that interviewed between the biting
and the appearance OF the dread disease
that took his life young Alberson
was always in good health and spir-
its until last Wednesday. Then he
became unusually nervous, and showed
signs OF increased intellectual power. lie
was UNUSUALLY bright and laxative, and
astonished his parents and his play-fellows
by the brilIiancy OF his remarks and his
unusual talkatiyeness. That night at sup
per he tried to drink his tea, but could not,
and subsequently when water was offered
him lie refused it and said that he could
not swallow il. Late that night water was
offered him again and he tried to take it.
but the effort to swallow threw him into a
CONFUSION, during which he had sharp,
barking cough.
ALL THE SYMPTOMS OF HYDR0PH0BIA.
| Then DR.. Meeser was again summoned,
and when he made an examination he found
that the symptoms were without any rea-
sonabIe doubt those OF bydrOphobia. The
muscles OF the boys throat were contract
ed, and although he was feverish and de-
voured by thirst he could not swallow wa
ter or any other liquid. On Thursday and
THURSDAY night he became gradually weak
er aud weaker, and in all that time he
positively refused food or drink. At 3
O'Clock yesterday morning he had
In violent convulsion that lasted.
with occasional intervals, until o'clock,
when he died. These fits lasted
from ten TO fifteen minutes, and then pc
Rod OF Eve or six minutes OF comparative
rest and quietude came, to he followed by
another spasm OF intense agony, during
which his face was horribly contorted, his
hands tightly clenched, and his knees
drawn up; in fact, every muscle in his
body seemed to be brought into violent
action. I'm the intervals between the con-
yulsiOns he was sensible and able to tel
his feelings. He said he did not dread
water because it was water, but be-
cause he knew that the muscles OF his
throat were so contracted and 80 sore
that hc could not swallow it without
intense agony. In his commissions there
appeared 20 be an involuntary and yet yio-
lent action OF all the muscles, and his
cough, which was frequent, was suggestive
of a dogs barking. DR.. Meeser used chlo-
raj hydrate and bromide Of potassium lib
orally 10 alleviate the pain OF the sufferer,
but without any hope that it would effect
a cure. He says that hydrophobla has al
ways ballled medical science, and that in
the three eases that have come under his
practice his aim has always been to lessen
the agony OF the patient rather than to al
tempt cure. which is believed to be i'm
possible.
l. WHAT THE PHYSICIAN SAYS.
-" Alberson's case presented all the symp-
toms OF hydrophobia." said the doctor,
..and | used the only treatment that is now
used in such cases. The chOral-hydrate
and bromide OF potassium seemed to lessen
the force of the commissions. noticed that
the child became restless and uneasy when
ever the least draught Of air struck his
BODY, and this is said by the authorities TO
be one OF the unmlStakablc symptoms
of hydrophobil. believe / am the
originator of the choral and bro
mde Of potassium treatment, and
can testify that il ut least relieves
the agony Of the sufferer even ii ineffective
as cure. I'm the books we are told that
Iall the narcotics and all the anodynes named
in materia medica have been yainly used in
Ihydrophobia. The system OF patient
suffering from this disease seems to be- al
lmost imperyious To narcotics. DR.. Bah
bngton, OF London. is recorded rs giving
la patient $50 grains of opium in eleven
hours without producing the slightest eff
feet. DIR. Atterley gave two drachms OF
calomel to child Of eight years and rub
bed il with two and half ounces OF mer-
curial ointment without producing any re-
suit, and DR.. Hamilton gave enormous
doses OF belladOnna and yet failed TO pro-
duce sleep or cessation OF pain. Indeed,
las Isll IL w llON hilOh AHt =. SANH VI ~ ny
Idrophoba patient is In thorough antagO-
nism 10 all known narcotics"
"Some say that Imagination has great
deal to do with hydrophobia. DO you
think it entered in any way into the Alber-
son casef"
"Not at all. After the wounds had
healed | don't believe that the boy ever
gave the bite another thought. He was
not Of a deep.thinking age, and probably
dismissed the event from his mind the mo-
ment the pain disappeared. | know that
no effort TO revive his recollection OF the
bite was ever allowed in his home. and no
reference was ever made TO it in his pres
ence. The fact is that he WAS impregnated
| by the virus OF dog whose breed Is always
said 10 carry the poison in their teeth, and
he died i'm consequence. One OF the sure
signs that he died OF hydrophobia was that
towards the end his saliva was tenacious
and clammy, and that he frothed at the
mouth. In an ordinary ease grain OF
opium is dose, and four grains viii
cause death, but in hydrophobia an almost
unlimited quantity can be administered
without effect"
MORE VICTIMS OF sPITZ DOGS.
"You mention three eases, doctor. Can
YOU recall the othersl"
"Yes. About two years ago Lewis
Zweiier. aged seven years, the son OF 4 pa
tient OF mine. was bitten on the lip by a
half-breed Spitz Dust such mongrel as bit
Alberson) aud died after suffering for three
DAYS. He had just such commissions as |
saw in Alberson's ease, but they yielded
more easily to the effects Of the medicines
| used. probably because his physical vigor
was less marked. The other ease was that
of a boy who lived in the Neck and who
was les, than three years old. His convul-
sjons were well controlled by the choral
notassium treatment. and he died almost
painlessly OF exhaustion. In the first case
III made n DOst-mOrtem examination, and