Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-07
BITTEN BY A RABID DOG.
A PatienJ's Sensation Who Does
Not Believe in HydrophObia.

from tho Neao York INfReS.
WATERFOWL, n. Y, June 1.-THE
Times correspondent, through the cour-
tesy of DIR. James ID. Spencer, the phvsi-
clan in charge, was permitted 10 talk a
few moments in private with Jere Cough
lin, OF the Watertown Times, who was
bitten by rabid dog on the evening Of
May 10. Mr.. Coughlin was reminded
that the people were suspicious that he
did not tell the whole truth about the
dog. 81 did not in print" he candidly
replied, ''fOr had done so there would
have been great excitement. People die
from fright, and l did care to kill
any one, if the dog did try it. The
truth is, the dog made his entrance into
my dining room by butting the door open
with his head. That caused the tired APP
pearance. He was simply stunned. My
wife turned him out and watched him go
around the house, calling my attention to
the fact that he was frothing at the
mouth. l went out the other way to look
for him, taking coal shovel in my hand.
AS got out the dog was running toward
the barn, one OF the large doors of which
was open. But he did not go in. lie
struck his head against the closed door
and turned almost around. He jumped
up quickly again and ran straight toward
me. | raised the shovel; he sprang for
my hand, but caught my leg, but blow
from the back of the shovel made him
loosen his hold, when he went straight
under the back steps and lay there until
he was shot.
'What has been my treatment? DR..
Spencer must tell you that. l have fol-
lowed his advice and taken his medicines;
nave kept cool and cain; saw no one but
the doctor for eleven days. My symptoms
have been carefully noted down, some
times by myself and sometimes by my
wife. l noticed alarm in the doctors face
the eighth day. My temperature was nor
NAL and my pulse 120. | Gained myself
as best | could. That morning began to
have sharp pains in my eyes. The eye
balls enlarged 80 that | could see to read
nOnparei without glasses, something
which | had not done for twelve years.
There was an uneasy restlessness all day.
Although my temper is usually calm, it
was with the utmost endeaVOr that |
could control myself. l wanted to scold
or hit somebody, and cheWed up a whole
lead pencil IN my fury. l retired be-
tween and in the evening, not because
l was sleepy, butfor the purpose OF get
ting out of the way of everybody. Hot
aud cold flashes passed through my sys-
TEN until midnight, while [ tumbled and
tossed about the bed wrapped in flannel
sheets. With almost lightning sudden
ness then began pains-sharp ones
seemingly coming from the wound at first,
but so rapid that within a short time they
seemed to start from every part of my
system. | was burning, in pain and
thirsty. My first impulse was to take
run in the cool air; my second was to
stay in bed and fight it out. did not
care to call anyone, fearing that their
talk would cause me to lose what little
reason | had. 1 felt so light that
it seemed to me there was danger of
my floating out of bed; | firmly grasped
the side of the bed and held on, believing
the unusual pain and heat would soon
pass away. / held myself in that posi-
tiOn until few mInutes before 4-nearly
four hOurs-when the pain and heat sud
denly stopped. My mind was perfectly
clear. The flannel sheets were wet with
persplratiOn. | got up terribly exhausted
and endeavored to take a spoonful OF aro-
matte spirits OF ammonia in half glass
of water which had been prepared for me
to drink through the night. NV stomach
repealed it with terrible force. 1 waited
until the stomach had 0uieted down. and
then / swallowed the medicine
quickly, shutting my mouth with grim
determination that it should not come
out. The stomach acted the same as be-
fore, but | would not open my mouth. 1t
was hard, ana my throat did not feel lust
right. Well, l got 1t down. and got such
a terrible wrenching OF the body that |
have not yet recovered. l took my medl-
cine next day with my eyes closed. There
were some of the symptoms Of the night
before, but they were lighter, and
have now passed entirely away-at
least, l think so. / could
easily have gone crazy had | not
kept my senses when burning with pain
and thirst; would probably have done so
mad not DR.. Spencer sent me home from
the office to remain quiet. l have a sore
leg, and just as soon as that is healed |
will be at work again, satisfied that there
is as much hydrOphobia in n PERSONS
mind as IN a dogs bite, and believing that
our best American physicians can cure
what disease there is if patients VIII only
control themselves and not go off INTO
Mysteries"
DR.. Spencer was next called upon. He
said he had no means of positively know
ing that the dog was mad. He advised
against the killing of il, but it was killed
before his advice was known. From the
descriptions of the dog given by an eye
witness and the symptoms OF his patient
he believed the dog was mad. He did not
appear as positive as MIR. Coughlin in
thinking that the latter would be able to
resume work in n few days, but he had no
fears of the result. AS to the treatment
he preferred saying nothing about that
until the case was ended; then he would
have no objection to making il public