The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-18
uypROpAoe,A AND FRIGHT.
Deaths Attributed to tho Former Really
Caused by tho Latter.

Deaths Attributed to tho Former Really
Caused by tho Latter.
The principal event in the convention
Of the State MEDICAL association was the
DISCUSSION over the existence OF hydro
pbobia. The debate was interesting and
valuable. and while there was great
difference of opinion on certain points,
all agreed that the public were unneces-
sarilv scared over hydrophobia; that
even alleged cases were Of great rarity,
and that in the majority Of cases In
which death resulted from dogs bito
hydrophobia was not the cause OF death.
All :he popular symptoms OF hydropho.
bia were shown to be common to many
forms of commissions tetanic and convul.
sions resulting from hysteria.
Dr. c. W. Dulles, who had been APP
pointed by the society to investigate by
drophoba, read his report for the year.
Pasteur's methods, he said, were not at
tracing the same attention they did
year or so ago, and arp in a fair way to
die out Pasteur had only treated BOG
cases the previous year, he said, where
be had formerly treated 800 month.
Pasteur's method had no effect in de-
creasing the mortality Of those who fall
into terror over hydrophobia. Pasteur
knew nothing Of hydrophobia. In the
last year there had been fifteen cases in
this country of alleged bydrophobia. He
specified several cases, one being the case
of man who dreamed he died of hydro
lyapincr fn.ar
with commissions through fright and
died.
The fear is worse than the bite, " said
Or. Dulles 'for not one of the animals
IN the cases mentioned gave evidence
that they had the rabies. The living in
dread Of death from hydrophobia is often
the cause of death. Too often the dag
nosis of the case Is made by the laity and
confirmed by the doctor There is moth
ing more senseless, more cruel, more cal.
cuiated to cause death than the senseless
test of water" DR. Dulles spoke Of the
exaggoration Of forcible restraint sup
posed to be necessary in hydrophobia
cases, and denounced the use Of narcot-
les. "liydrophobia is missioner, he
said. and is not a specific inoculable
disease. do not deny people fall into
certain state after being bitten by mad
dog. but do deny that the state Is pro-
duccd by canine virus. Fright and
other factors throw the patient into
condition, not into disease. Wher-
even there is little talk there is little
disease. Iydrophobia was unknown in
PENNSYLVANIA this last year, and belief in
it will follow the fate of the belief in
wltchcraft.
DR.. Shakespeare, Of this city, dissented
from the opinions Of DR.. Dulles, and said
he spoke only from the standpoint Of
medical antiquarian and a clincian, and
did not speak from laboratory knowl-
edge. DR.. Shakespeare held that the
teachings Of laboratory experiments were
in favor of belief in hydrophobia beyond
the power of controversy. He said the
work there proved the existence OF rabies
as an infectious disease in the animal
kingdom, and the strong probability was
that il was infectious ID man as well az
in the lower animals, for the same symp-
toms were observed in both. The as
sumption that man is an exception TO the
rule that hydrophobia is infectious, tie
said, was arrant nonsense.
DR.. Trail Green, who is almost 50
years DID, made strong speech, treating
hydrophobia as myth. This state is
not so prevalent as people believe" he
said. Mad dogs are rare, very rare.
In all my experience | have never had a
case, and those heard Of and inquired
into turned out to be hunbugs. want
to see the people delivered from this
scare. It's a wonder we live at all;
we're so afraid of everything. People
die of the fright, and 1t is u doctors
business to keep his patients from being
scared.
DR.. Rahter, OF Harrisburg, gave the
case of a Young girl which he considered
a real case Of hydrophobia. Dr. c. X.
Mills said the SO called hydrophobia
symptoms could be explained III other
ways as resultant from other diseases.
The commissions might result from the
tearing bya sharp instrument. and would
be of the nature of lockjaw. He said:
1--WE ought 10 do all we can to relieve
the public of fear DR.. Frank Wood
bury said he considered it settled thing
that hydrophobia and rabies did exist.
but that they were rare diseases. Most
people die of fright, he said, especially
young women.
DR.. Green said that DR.. Dulles was
doing a good work The fear is broad
cast" he said, in every ones mind.
Even councils show their fear by passing
ordinances to muzzle dogs in the summer
time when there are fewer cases of al
legged rabies than at any other time. l
don't want the people to be scared, and
say such action is nonsense.
DR.. Dulles concluded the debate. He
said that there was TOO much dictatIon
from the laboratory. He did not deny
that rabies may to propagated, but said
such propagation was wholly artificial.
Il do not deny that there is such dis
ease az rabies, but that disease is marked
by a desire for quiet, rest, repose and
water. while the alleged symptoms of
hydrophobia iIsman are just the oppo-
- L. L.