Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-18


pests that blow in the open fields insuch
sort that in night Of snow they sleep
sound.n
hYBE0PH0RIA w. WILL POWER.
General Bes,e. Grants OLD Friend.
Relates How he Escaped an As
tack or Hydrophobis.
A Lcng Branch letter to the World
says: General Beale is visiting the
Grants at their cottage at this place.
Last Sunday / heard the General give
an interesting account of his once fight
ing off an attack Of hydrophobia. 1t
is the first case l have ever heard OF
mans being able BY mere will power
to throw of this formidable and terrible
disease. The General apparently be-
lieves that hydrophobia is but crea-
ton to q certain extent Of the imsgins-
ton. When he was a young man no
vas Surveyor.General in Southern
California. During his residence
there, through the purchase of
land, he laid the foundation for
his present fortune. His favorite sport
at that time was the hunting of wolves.
The hunters would 60 out armed with
lances and follow trained dogs. The
dogs would run down the wolves.
Immediately following the attack one
wolf would always leave tho dogs and
come and attack the hunter. The Cen
eral said one day when wolf came to-
wards him the lance, with which he
could easily keep of and destroy any
wolf making any ordinary attack,
broke. As his lance broke he started
to kick the wolf under the jaw. His
foot missed its aim and instead was
caught in the VOLTS mouth. The wolf
bit clear through his moccasin and
wounded him severely. So grim was
the grip of the wolf that he
did not even release his hold when
killed. The muscles supporting his
laws had to be cut before his teeth
could DO relaxed from their terrible
grip. When the General returned to
camp, as he was alone during this ex-
perience, he was met by cheerful COM
panion, who told him that the bite Of
an enraged wolf was certain to produce
hydrophobia. The wolf was undoubt-
edly in a condition to communicate the
rabies, as he had been worried to
great extent by the dogs before no at
tackled the General. General Beale
says that he did not have any oppor-
tunity of cauterizing the wounds, aud
had attached no particular importance
to the bite until he had returned to
camp.
lie said after that there was hardly q
day passed but what his companion re.
ferred TO cases Of hydrophobia arising
from wolf-bites. The result of this
continued talk upon the subject was to
produce great depression in General
Beale's mind. Within a short time he
began to feel symptoms Of an approach
ing attack of by drophobia. lie had the
most extraordinary aversion to water.
1t was with difficulty that he could
swallow. A swelling came in his throat
which threatened to close itwhenever he
sought to drink. 1t was only by an
extraordinary effort of the will that he
could force himself to swallow. One
day the General said to himself that
unless he combatted this growing feel
ing he felt certain he would have an
attack of bydrophobia. So one morning
he walked deliberately to spring and
thrust his head into the water. He said
as be approached his head to the water
be felt the most intense desire to jump
ind scream and run away from it. But
be held himself right there and
moved his head up and down
in The water until he conquered
this impulse and the aversion. lie fol-
lowed up this practice until he felt the
swelling in the throat going down and
his aversion to water lessening. He
felt that he was getting control, and this
encouraged him. In short time all
symptoms Of the disease had disap-
peared. The General was firmly con-
yinced that if he had for ono moment
relaxed bis will power during that try
ing time he would have passed directly
into q fit Of the widest kind of hydro
phobia. lie has never suffered from
the bite OF the wolf since that time,
although it occurred over twenty-five
years ago.
1t is a singular fact in this couneo-
ton that another member Of his family
who has been bitten by dog which was
undeniably mad had also escaped by
drophobia. His daughter Mary mar
ried distinguished Russian, q member
of the diplomatic service of his native
country. Several years ago they were
living in Paris. The husband was con-
nected with the Russian Legation. Gen
eral Beale's daughter had ct that time
o stag.hound of unusual size and purity
of breed. 1t was very docile and her
fayorite companion. lie nearly always
went out with her. One day the dog
disappeared. As be was great pot
and a dog Of unusual value, they
advertised for him, and sought
through the police to recover him. One
night when the Russian diplomat and
his wife we're seated about an open fire
in their salon after returning from the
opera there vas a knock at the door.
This was so unusual at this late hour
ofthe night that the Russian went him
self to answer the knock. As the door
opened two men entered having the lost
deg attached to stout stick, which
held him between them but yet KEPT
them at a safe distance. Gen. Beale''
son.in.law Was delighted to see the doc
again. The dogs mistress was specially
pleased. The dog, however, showed nc
sign Of pleasure or recognition. lie
went over into an opposite corneI
and would not pay any attention tc
their calls. They thought that he nigh
feel strange, and so paid no further stten
ton to him. Suddenly, without even q
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