Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-07-29
now TO PREVENT HYDRopHoBJA


ienee.
Gen. Beale is visiting the Grants at
their cottage at this place, writes Long
Branch CORES pondent of the New York
World. Last Sunday heard the general
give an intererting account of his once
fighting off an attack of hydrophobia.
1t is the first Gaze l ever heard of a mans
being able by mere viii power to throw
off this formidable and terrible disease.
The general apparently believes that by
drophobia is but Great on, TO certain
extent, of the imagination.
When he was a young man he was sur
veyor general in southern California.
During his residence there, through the
purchase af land, he laid the foundation
for his present fortune. His fayorite
sport at that time was the hunting of
wolves. The hunters would go out armed
with lances and follow trained dogs. The
dogs would run down the wolves. Imme-
diately following the attack one wolf
would always leave the dogs and come to
attack the hunter. The general said one
day when a wolf came toward him, the
lance, with which he could easily keep off
and destroy any wolf making any ordi-
nary 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 moccison and wouBd-
ed him severely, SO grim was the grip
of the wolf that he did not even release
his hold when killed. The muscles sup
porting his Jaws had to be cut before his
teeth could be relaxed from the terrible
grip. When the general returned to camp,
as he was alone during his experience, he
was met by cheerful companion, who
told him the bite of an enraged wolf was
certain TO produce hydrophobia. The
wolf was undoubtedly in condition to
communicate the rabies, as he had been
worried to a great extent by the dogs be-
fore he attacked the general. General
Beale says that he did not have any OPP
portunity of cauterizing the wounds, and
had attached no particular importance to
the bite until he returned to camp.
He said after that time was hardly a
day passed but what his companion re-
ferred to cases of hydrophobia arising
from wolf-bites. The result of this con
tinued talk upon the subject was to pro.
duce a great depression in Gen. Beal's
mind. Within short time he began to
feel symptoms of an approaching attack
of hydrophobia. He had the most extra
ordinary aversion to water. 1t was with
difficulty that he could swallow. A swell
ing came in his throat which threatened
TO close it whenever he sought TO drink.
II 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 combated this
growing feeling ne felt certain he would
have an attack of hydrophobia. so one
morning he walked deliberately to a
spring and thrust his head into the water.
He said as he approached his head to the
water he felt the most intense desire to
Jump and scream and run away from 1t.
But he had himself right there and moved
his head up and down in the water until
he conquered this impulse and the ever
sion. He followed up this practice until
he felt the swelling in the throat going
down and his aversion to water lessenlng.
He felt that he was getting control, and
this encouraged him. In short time all
symptoms of the disease had disappeared.
The general was firmly convinced that If
he had for one moment relaxed his Will
power during that trying time he would
have passed directly into fit of the
widest kind of hydrophobia. He has
never suffered from the bite of the wolf
since that time, although 1t occurred over
twenty five years ago.
1t is a singular fact in this connection
that another member of his family VINO
has been bitten by dog which was m
deniably mad had also escaped hydrop-
hobia His daughter Mary married a
distinguished Cussian, a member OF the
diplomatic service of his native country.
Several years ago they were living IN
Paris. The husband was connected with
the Russian legation. Gen, Beale's
daughter had at the time a stag hound
of unusual size ana purity Of breed. 1t
was very docile and her fayOrite compan-
ion. He nearly always went out with her
One day the dog disappeared. As he
was great pet and dog of unusual val
ue they advertised for him, and sought
through the police to recover him. One
night while the Russian diplomatic and
his wife we're seated about the open fire
in their salon after returning from the
opera. .here was a knock at the door.
This was so unusual az this late hour of
the night that the Russian went himself
to answer the knock. As the door open
attached to a stout stick, which held him
between them, but yet kept them at a
safe distance. Gen. Beale's son-in-law
was delighted to see the dog again. The
dogs mistress was especially pleased.
The dog, however showed no signs of
pleasure or recognition. He went over
into an opposite corner and would not
pay any attention to their calls They
thought that he might feel strange and
SO paid no further attention to him. Sud
denly without even a bark of warning,
this great dog sprang and bit his mis-
tress right through the upper lip. and
then on her cheek before her husband
could reach She stout collar which en-
circled the dogs neck. The Russian sue
ceeded in half a moment in dragging the
dog off from his mistress and then he had
terrific fight with the Infatuated ami
NAL. If he had been very muscular he
would not have succeeded in subduiug
him. He succeeded finally in dragging
/ him iutoa bath room and locking him
UP, bat not until his right arm was bitten
aud torn from shoulder 10 wrist.
the scene that followed ia dramatic
enough for the most sensational of plays,