The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-07-08
BATHS FOR RABIES. .El
Well Authenticated Instances Who're Hy-
drophobia Was Prevented.

/
drOphObia Was Prevented.
DR.. William Goggin, of this city, has
great confidence in the vapor-bath cure
for hydrophobia. He says that he has
tried it and has seen it tried on several
occasions in this country and in Ireland,
and he never knew it to fail but once,
and that was not the fault of the system,
but owing to it being applied too late.
"The first case where hydrophobia was
cured by the vapor bath, coming within
my knowledge, said the doctor the other
day, @was that of a laborer on the farm
of a wealthy lord near Saint AIMS hill,
Blarney, county Cork. The man was
bitten on the calf of the leg by a cur dog
in 1852. The owner of the farm was a
gentleman thoroughly practiced in med
icine. He advised his help TO seek a
bath. This he did on the day after he
was bitten. He was put in a vapor bath
and the temperature was raised very
high. He was kept in there some time,
and the bath was afterward repeated at
intervals of days. During this treatment
he was given no medicine of any kind,
but received careful nursing under the
direction of his master. He entirely re-
jected to attacks.
"The next case was that of a laborer
who was bitten near the same village in
1860 in the calf of the leg. One quarter
of pound of salt was Immediately
bound to the wound and kept there for
several weeks. The man was put in a
vapor bath, and under this treatment he
recovered in about seven weeks. He was
80 years of age.
'The first case of hydrophobia cured,
in my knowledge, in this country was
that of a German named Schmidt near
Harlem bridge, New York. Schmidt was
the driver of a brewer wagon, and was
powerful man, over six feet in height.
His leg, thigh and hands had been badly
lacerated by a dog that undoubtedly had
the rabies. / took him into the bath.
As soon as he saw the water he foamed
at the mouth and fell on the floor. He
barked like dog at two-minute inter
walls. He was first put in a room where
the air was dry and heated TO a tempera-
ture of 1870 degrees. There he remained
three-quarters of an hour. The tempeTa-
ture was then raised to 100 degrees, and
in this air he remained three-quarters of
an hour longer. Then he was sprayed
with warm water and gradually cooled
and sent home. He kept on barking like
a dog for several days. His dry-air baths
were repeated every twenty-four hours.
Finally, after about week, he was pro-
noupced completely cured by competent
physicians.
an 1857 man about 30 years of age
and living in Brooklyn was bitten by a
brewers dog. He Immediately devel-
oped symptoms of rabies. He was put
in small steam box, and the tempera-
ture was first raised to So degrees and
then to 100 degrees. At the latter tenn
perature vapor was formed and the pa
tient breathed it, After remaining in
the vapor two hours the man was cooled
and sent home. He frequently returned
for the same treatment, and was finally
completely cured.
in 1869, in Philadelphia, knew of a
case of man brought there with the |
rabies from Bordentown, n. j. He was |
treated under the vapor process, but do !
not know whether or not he recovered.
In 1872, also in Philadelphia, man was
brought from Wilmington, Del, and put
in a vapor bath. He had a mild attack
of rabies, just developing. He died
eiOneI III bnO NSpOI DdOtl, VI AHliu6uldJely
His death was caused by the
bathroom being suddenly heated to
too high temperature.
"The bath treatment in this country
differs from that in vogue in England.
There the heat is raised to 100 degrees,
but the patient is not so long subjected
to the vapor. Here the heat is seldom
developed above 12O degrees, and the
patient is longer kept under its influence,
for seven or eight hours.
think the American method is prefera-
BILE, and believe it is being gradually
into England and other coun-
tries.
"The object of the treatment is simply
TO relax the tension of the nerves, and
the longer the patient is kept under the
method Of cure the more perfectly is this
accomplished. Baltimore Herald.