The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-15
HYDROPHOBIA.
A Doctors Opinion of the Much Dreaded
Malady-Advice to the Press.


DR.. A. II. Goelet. in Few York World.
In a recent number of the World appeared
short item headed, Death from Hydrophobia"
1t related to the death Of a lady from this
disease after having been bitten two years pre-
yiously Why will the papers publish these
items! What good do they accomplish At the
same time consider the harm they cause.
Iavow, with perfect confidence, that the pub
fishing OF these cases produces nine tenths of
the deaths from this much dreaded disease.
The majority Of people who have received dog
bites would never think of it afterward if their
attention was not called to it by these items
which are constantly appearing in the papers.
At least SIX persons have said to me to-day,
Did you see the case of hydrophobia in the
paper2 Whenever l read such cases feel very
much worried about bite received once A
little girl who had been bitten by her pet some
months ago came to me very much excited by
having read the item, and l had great difficulty
in quieting her fears. Every physician is having
the same experience constantly.
Some years ago young graduate in medicine
asked my advice about an inflamed spot on his
arm, where he had been bitten by dog when a
boy. 1t had never troubled him before, but was
now the seat of slight erysipelas, which had
been caused by some exposure. He was very
much agitated and in dread of hydrophobia. In
fact he was on the verge of it, entirely from
the influence of his imagination 1t was
with great difficulty that I managed to
compose him, and during the course of the
disease he was constantly referring to it, and
would imagine, at tunes, that he felt the symp-
toms of hydrophobia approaching l feared
some serious nervous symptoms would be pro
duced BY the condition of his mind Had he
been other than physician hydrophoba would
undoubtedly have been the result Fortunately
the erysipelas was slight, and he recovered in a
few days and he ceased to worry about hydro
phobia.
Are news items so scarce that these must be
published! think not. Neither do | think that
the editor of any paper would willingly continue
to perpetrate this wrong on his readers if he was
brought to think of it in the proper light Too
much cannot be said against the printing of
these cases in the daily papers. Let them
not be brought to the public mind, and Stats
tics will at once show decrease in the death
rate from hydrophobia. A few years ago this
disease was seldom heard of, but since the
subject has been agitated we are constantly
hearing of it.
Not satisfied with the trouble which has been
caused by the dog bite, some unwise Der
son has agitated the subject of cat bite, so now
we hear also Of hydrophobia from this cause.
This proves clearly that the majority of cases
are brought about by the influence of the imag
nation, for ten years ago hydrophobia from cat
bite was unheard of
1t is the duty of the press to smother this fast
increasing flame while it can be DONE and before
too much mischief has been done After a while
it will have spread so extensively that it will be
impossible to stop it. Let these items be disre-
garded and kept out of the papers.