Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-12
RABIES OR LYSSOPHOBIA?
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
 DIR. HAMlLL's EXPERIMENTS

SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
 DIR. HAMiLL,s EXPERIMENTS Feeding and Handling Sick Canines-A
 Poor Cure in Convulsions-Not . Case of
 Hydrophobia-A Dogs Gratitude-Fear
 of Rabies.
 In East Fourteenth street, near First avenue, is a stable in which mad dogs are treated. These animals are under the care of Dr. James Hamill, the we'll known veter- mary surgeon. For the past eighteen months Dr. Edward c. Spitzka, assisted by Dr. Nathan E. Brill, has been conducting series of experiments with the object of proving or disproving the alleged virtue of Pasteur's inoculation against hydrophobia. During this period Dr. Hamill has had the feeding and handling of over twenty sick canines, and has been bitten only once He cauterized the wound on his thuub, gave it no further attention, and has never experienced any ill effects from it.
 A few days ago, accompanied by re- porter, Dr. Hamill entered stall and called dejected looking dog to him. Catching it by the back of the neck he said: "In show you what so called hydrophobia is"
 As the doctor put the dog down the animal snapped at him, and then in fear he ran into a corner. Dr. Hamill again seized the dog somewhat roughly this time-dragged him to the door and immersed his nose in @ pan of milk, holding it there for several seconds. On being released the dog immediately went into violent convulsion, frothing freely at the mouth. The reporter stepped out into the stable yard, and Dr. Hamill laughed.
 eTalk about Herrmann's tricks" said he, rolling up his sleeves; "see here"
 DOGS GRATITUDE.
 Stopping over the writhing animal, he be- gan gently rubbing with both hands its back and sides, much as one would caress a favorite dog who was above suspicion. At the same time he kept repeating in low, musical voice the ordinary pet names which ''poor doggie" is supposed to understand and be longing to hear In little more than a minute the dog lay perfectly still. If ever helpless pup looked gratitude that one certainly did as Dr. Hamill gently carried him back and laid him down on a bed of straw in a corner of the stall
 "Now, that was case of what is ordinar- fly called hydrophobia," said Dr. HamiI, as he locked the invalid in. ''It really is a case of something like tetanus, or lockjaw. While was holding his nose in the milk could feel the muscles of his throat undergoing spasms. He simply couldn't swallow. Sup pose that dog had got thirsty in the street and had attempted to drink? He would have exhibited similar symptoms. If, then, a crowd had raised the cry of Mad dogr and began to pursue and frighten the animal, could anything else have occurred than that he should have manifested all the symptoms popularly ascribed to hydrophobia, such as snapping atseverything within reach, froth- if +Iar aud on his coursea Then, if person had been bitten before policeman could kill the dog, would we not have had all the essentials of a genuine hydrophobia easel Exaggerated de- scriptions of the dogs appearance and actions would have reached the person bitten, and, if his blood was out of order, a soreness would have ensued, aggravated by the mind dwell ing on the case. Within a few hours the victim would have been ye1ping and barking and frothing in the orthodox manner, and might possibly have died before morning. Yet the dog might have been only suffering from this disease like lock jaw, while the man actually died from lyssophobia, which is the big word for fear of rabies, or dog madness. Nine-tenths of all tho so called cases of hy- drophobia in man result from excessive fright and the intense dwelling of the mind on the dreadful results which are possible"
 REPRODUCTION OF SYMPTOMS.
 In further conversation Dr. Hamill said that the first inocs:lations were made from the spinal column of a healthy, freshly killed calf, and thereafter mainly from the success sive dead dogs Every symptom described by Pasteur had been thus reproduced, but not all in the same dog. The inoculations were made in the brain, and common soap seemed to produce the most violent symptoms He thought that most of the so called mad dogs were either suffering from Arrangement of the stomach or from lockjaw. He considered the bite of human being in frenzy almost as dangerous to life. When dogs are sick they eat things that Harlem goat wouldn't touch. One killed recently had over pound | of rag carpet in his stomach. The expert | mentors in this city, Dr. Hamill said, would | give good deal of money for dog suffering from indisputable hydrophobia.
 'ln Belgium" concluded Dr. Hamill, ''the; regulate these things better than we do | There all unlicensed dogs are shot, no matter what the season of the year. Each dog must 1 be taken to the examining doctors once month. If he passes all right the color ane l form of his new collar indicate that fact unti the next examination day. If he is ill in an, way he placed in solitary confinement in thu dog hospital and treated until his recovery is complete or pronounced hopeless. Unde, l this system there have been but six cases oi so called hydrophobia in Belgium in sever 1 years.--New York Evening Sun.