The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-06
A PECULIAR. CASE.
A Man Dies of "a Cattle Disease Con.
tracted from Handling Hides.

The following interesting case of
fatal poisoning in handling hides is re
ported in the New York Times: Thomas
Young, aged as years, of No. 122 Con-
cord street, went 10 Chambers Street
hospital, April IA, suffering, as he sup
posed. from the bite of an insect. He
stated that he was employed in q
wholesale leather establishment in
Spruce Street, and that three days
before, just as he had thrown down q
hide that he had been carrying upon
his shoulder, he felt sharp sting upon
his neck. He had known of men who
| handled hides, being bitten by an insect
like a tick" which is occasionally
found in hides brought from southern
anu western States, and, until his ad-
mission to the hospital, believed that
one of these creatures had pierced the
skin on his neck against which the hide
had sted. On Friday his neck became
very sore and much swollen, and on
Saturday he was suffering great agony.
The next day he went to the Chambers
Street hospital, and from that institu-
ton was transferred to the New York
hospital on Fifth Street. Here he was
placed under the care of House Surgeon
William Gordon, to whom he stated
that he thought he had been bitten by
some insect,
Doses Of whisky wer9 administered
as an antldote and with the object of
relieving the intense pain with which
the man was suffering. One ounce of
whisky was given eve y fifteen minutes,
and spirits we're administered hypo-
dermically also, but without effect. The
mans BARN remained perfectly clear,
notwithstanding that enough whisky
had been given to make any well man
intoxicated. THE pain became a trife
less severe, but the swelling on the
neck increased to such al extent that
the patient was in danger of suffocating,
The operation OF tracheotomy was
resorted to, but Mr.. Young died soon
after it was performed. An autopsy
was held which showed that the patient
had died of malignant @ Jena, disease
to which cattle are subject, but which
in their cases is called anthrax. The
disease is very rare in human beings,
records of the hospital. The SUPPOSE
hi&e from his shoulder, stiffaned
portion of it, upon which may have
been some of The anthrax bacillus,
scratched his neck and produced a
crude but effective kind of innccula-
ton. A portion of Mr.. Young's blood
was secured, part of which is now
being examined under microscope.
while the remainder is being treated to
a process which will cultivate the
hacillus germ. When this germ shall
have become DEVELOPED. it is intended
to use it in innoculating some of the
smaller animals, such as rats or mice.
with the idea of studying the disease
more closely.
The medical records contain very few
instances of this disease in this part OF
the c)untry. Ia countries from which
hides are shipped in quantities and
where cattle are raised extensively,
however, it is not so unusual for men to
be afflicted with it. The experiments to
be pertor med with the cultivated germs
will. 10 doubt, be watched with great
interest by medical men in this CITY
DR.. Gordon said Yesterday that the
first experiment might De attempted
within week.