The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-01-31
THE HYDROPHOBIA SCARE
TIE VALUE OF PASrEUR'S DIS
COVERIES QUESTIONED.
What DR.. Hammond Thinks OF the
French Savanps Methods
Hi, Treatment.

New York Times: Dr. William A
Hammond discussed "Hydrophobii
and Its Prevention" at a fully at
teHded meeting OF the Clinical So
ciety of the New York Postgraduate
Medical School, at No. 226 Eest
Twentieth street, last evening
DR.. ID. B. St. John Rooss
pret ided, and in introducing DR.
Hammond he declared that the
medical profession is always listened
to with Difference, and that its sug.
gestions, if offered with uuanimity
are usually adopted. But in regard
to hydrophobia the profession is all
at sea. Data relating thereto is SO
difficult TO obtain, and when obtained
is of so conflicting a nature, that the
profession has never made up its
mind as to the cause aud proper
treatment of the disease. When il
does make up its mind the communi-
ty will benefit by its detection.
DR.. Hammond said that while it is
very true that the most Of the pro-
fession is at sea in regard to hydro
phobia, yet the neurological portion
Of it is not. Those physicians who
have devoted their time TO a study of
nervous diseases know that there is
such a disease as hydrophobia, and
that it is incurable. He did not
mean 10 say that it is not preventa-
bic, for he believed that il was, but
once it had developed itself then
nothing could save the patient.
Concerning the methods of proven
ton, DR.. Hammond stated. that many
cases OF persons bitten by dogs, sup
posed to be mad, had passed under
his observation and treatment, aud
that the course he had followed in
each was first; 10 take steps TO ascer-
tain whether or not the animal in
flicting the wound was really suffer
ing from hydrophobia. Pending the
discovery, he excised or oauterized
the bitten part, first having applied
the cupping glass or caused the pa
tient, or some one for him, 10 APP
ply his lips to the wound and
suck out the poison. This latter
proceeding, he claimed, was attended
by little or no danger to the one un-
dertaking it, provided there was no
abrasion of the skin Of the mouth or
throat. The virus, he commended,
Guild not be absorbed into the
system through the mucous mem
brane. He also applied igatures
where possible, and when all these
precautions had been taken within
reasonable time after the patient had
been bitten hydrophohia had never
developed itself. The only way
in which the disease could be
communicated to human being, DR..
Hammond claimed, was through the
saliva. 1t cannot, he thought, be
transmitted through the blood, and
for that reason he was inclined 10
doubt the efficacy of DR.. Pasteur's
newly discovered method of inocula-
ton. However, he was not pre-
pared to state definitely that the
blood would not transmit the die
ease. My position" said he, "is
that Of an sgnostic. | will neither
positively affirm nor deny the value
of DR.. Pasteur's theory. | do not
know whether it DO correct or
worthless"
DR.. Hammond adduced the record
of 534 reported cases of hydropho-
bia, showing that in 1853 of them the
lapse of time between the bite and
the development OF the disease was
less than three months, and in only
thirty oil them more than six months.
From these figures he argued that
the stories of persons having been
attacked by hydrophobia years after
having been bitten we're entirely
mythical. He did not believe that
there was well authenticated in
stance on record of a patient dying
from the bite of n mad dog a year
after having been bitten. Concerning
the Newark children, he commended
that there is absolutely no proof that
the dog which injured them was suf-
!!ering from rabies at the time. He
also declared that not more than one
third Of the persons bitten by mad
dogs thereby contracted hydro
phobia, and ne strongly condemned
the senseless scare which took pos
session OF the community a month
or so since over the disease.
DR.. G. j.. Dana took issue with DR..
Hammond in regard to Pasteur's ex-
periments, and referred to the report
Of the committee of the French
Academy indorsing that scientist.
Other OF the gentlemen participant
ing in the ensuing discussion were
Prof. A. II. Smith, DIR. Thomas II.
Satterthwaite and +. Il. Sturgis aud
DR.. Roosa, all OF whom spoke Of the
rarity Of hydrophobia and the great
harm which had been wrought in
The community by the outcry recent
y raised over the disease. DR.. Ham
nond concluded the discussion.