Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-09-05
HYpRoPHoen AND FRIGHT.
Death, Attributed TO the Former Really
Caused by tho Latter.

pnoDih Inc ueDaJe was interesting ana
valuable, and while there was a great
difference Of opinion on certain points,
all agreed that the public were unneces-
sarily scared over hydrophobia. that
even alleged cases were Of great rarity,
and that in the majority of cases in
which death resulted from dogs bite
hydrophobia was not the cause Of death.
All the popular symptoms Of hydropho-
bia were shown TO be common TO many
forms OF commissions tetanic and convul-
sions resulting from hysteria.
DR.. G. w. Dulles who had been ap-
pointed by the society to investigate hy-
drophobia, read his report for the year.
Pasteurs methods, he said, were not at
tracing the same attention they did a
year or so ago, and are in a fair way to
die out. Pasteur had only treated 306
cases the previous year, he said. where
he had formerly treated 300 a month.
Pasteur's method had no effect in de-
creasing the mortality Of those who fall
into terror over hydroplubia. Pasteur
knew nothing Of hydroph )bia In the
last year there had been fifteen cases in
this country Of alleged yd7phobia He
specified several cases, one U ing the case
Of man who dreamed be died o. hydro
phobia, and on awakening was taken
with convulsions through fright and
died.
THE fear is worse than the hite,r said
Dr. 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
culated TO cause death than the senseless
.esi Of water" DIR. Dulles spoke of the
eAsggeration Of forcible restraint sup
posed 10 he necessary in hydrophotia
cases, and denounced the use Of narcot-
ics. "Hydrophobia is a misnomer. hs
said. "and is not a specific inoculahie
disease. ! do not deny people fall into .
certain state after being bitten by mad
aog. but dc deny that the state is pro-
duced by canine virus. Fright and
ether factors throw the patient into
condition. not into a disease. Wher-
ever there ~ little talk there Is little
disease. Hydrophobia was unknown in
Pennsylvania this last year, and belief in
II will follow the fate Of the belief in
witchcraft.
Dr. Shakespeare. Of this city, dissented
rom the opinions Of DR.. Dulles, and said
..e spoke only from the standpoint of Q
medical antiquarian and a clinician, and
lid not speak from laboratory knowl-
edge. DR.. Shakespeare held that the
teachings Of laboratory experiments were
m 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
Engdom, and the strong probability was
that il was infectious in man as well as
IN the lower animals, for the same syrup
toms were observed In both. The rs
sumption tina, man is an exception to tie
rule that hydrophobia is infectious, he
said, was arrant nonsense.
DR.. Trail Green, who is almost 20
rears old. made strong speech, treating
hydrophotia as a myth This state is
not so prevalent as people believe" he
said. "Aiad 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 humbugs. Iwant
10 see the people delivered from this
sare It's a wonder we live az all;
we're so afraid Of everything. People
die of the fright, and it is a doctors
business TO keep his patients from being
scared
DR.. Rahter. Of Harrisburg, gave the
case OF young girl which he considered
real case Of hydrophobia Or. C. K.
Mills said the so called hydrophobis
symptoms could be explained in other
ways as a resultant from other diseases.
The commissions might result from the
tearing by sharp instrument and would
be OF the nature Of lockjaw. He said;
I'VE ought to do all we can to relieve
he public OF fear" DR.. Frank Wood
bury said he considered 1t 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 Or. Dulles was
ioing a good work. THE fear is broad
cast" he said, ''in every ones mind.
Even councils show their fear by passing
ordinances 10 muzzle dogs in the summer
time when there are fewer cases Of al
legged rabies than at any other time. l
/ A -. IL 4 A
] say such action is nonsense"
DIR. Dulles concluded the debate. He
said that there was too much dictation
from the laboratory. BE did not deny
that rabies may be propagated. hat said
such propagation was wholly artificial
Il do npt deny that there Is such dis.
ease as rabies. but that disease is marked
uy a desire for quiet, rest, repose and
water, while the alleged symptoms OF
! hvd,sorhalia in man ara inst the onnxs-