, 1889-05-08
TRACED TO A poLEcA1,s BITE.
A n~ydrophobia Case of Rare Interest oo-
ours in Texas.

A ~HydroPhobia Case of Rare Interest oo-
ours in Texas
"a colored boy in my employ, about
ID years old, was bitten by q puppy
not more than six months old on the
upper part of the heel, only one tooth
entering the flesh and making an in
cisive wound, not much, if any, larger
than would be made by an ordinary
pin. The wound bled but little, and
no attention was paid to il as il gave
little or no pain, and in a few days it
healed On the succeeding day after
he was bitten the puppy showed symp-
toms OF hydrophobia and was killed.
And let me here state that about three
weeks before the boy was bitten a
polecat was driven from the bed
where the mother had her young. On
the forty-second day, the boy, who
was at work with me in my garden,
complained of feeling cold, and
thought he had a chill. Isent him to
the house, and that night gave him a
purgative, followed the next day with
quinine, supposing it was O malarial
attack.
HE was up and going aboutduring
the day, but late in the evening com
planned of feeling badly. That night
l administered another purgative and
followed it the next day with quinine,
and he appeared TO be doing well, and
so continued until the following even
ing, when he again complained of
chilly sensations, and was put to bed.
Before retiring for the night / went TO
his room and found him sleeping
quietly, and did not disturb him. The
next morning, which was the fourth
from the day he was taken, / INVENT into
his room and soon discovered some
thing very serious was the matter
with him. L felt his pulse, which was
beating very rapidly with difficult re-
spiration, without fever and no I'M
usual heat. / asked how he felt, and
he replied: I feel mighty badly, but
have no pain
Believing him TO be in q dangerous
condition, l sent Immediately for q
physician, but before he arrived con-,
WILSON'S came on. The physician, on
arrival, examined him, and after do
ing so said he had never seen or treat
ed a case of hydrophobia, but that this
had all the symptoms of it. He then
bolic acid, but without any apprecia-
bic effect. This was followed by
chloral used in tho same way, which
had the effect of ~lessening the severity
of the commissions, but did not stop
them. AS the day advanced they be-
came more frequent, the chloral
seeming TO lose its influence over
the nervous system. Respiration grew
moro difficult, and the lungs and
throat filled with mucus or froth, and
had to DO frequently wiped from the
mouth.
During the entire day and up to
his death, which occurred at 8 o'clock
p. m, his mind was unusually bright,
except when in commissions. He could
not bear n current of air to pass over
him, and seemed to be peculiarly SEN
sitive to both touch and cold. On the
approach of commissions he would ask
to be held firmly TO his bed. He called
for water sometimes in the early part
of the day he died, but the great diff
Guilty of swallowing gave hima an aver
sion to it. This was and is the only
case of a human being hat has come
under my observation, and 1 am son
WINGED that it was a clear and devel-
oped case of hydrophobia, and that it
was impaired to the puppy by the bite
of a polecat. "-Malagarda Gex.) Cor.
Atlanta Constitution.