Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-14
ension Claim.
Real and False HydrophobIa.

Every pathologist knows that imagi.
nation may produce results so closely
allied to the effects of disease that an
inexpert person cannot distinguish the
difference. DIR. Hammond
treats Of this force of suggestion In a
very interesting article on "False Hy-
drophobia,n contributed by him to the
North American ReuietU. It has been
asserted frequently by authority that
hydrophobia is q disease of such rare
occurrence that dread of it should be
dismissed from the popular mind; yet
the newspapers annually TEEN with
sensational reports of cases, many of
which terminate In death. Though
dogs seldom develop rabies, a really
mad dog being as exceptional as q mad
horse or mad pig, popular belief to the
contrary is so positive in mind that a
civic warfare against dogs is a legally
instituted affair during the months of
July and August, and no man Is who'll
ly fortified by judgement against a
nervous dread and secret horror of q
dog bite. When, therefore, dog irri-
tated by heat, badgered by boys, or
suffering from disordered stomach,
evinces an ugly temper and snaps at
his prosecutors, the person who chanc-
es to be bitten Is very likely to exper-
ience lively fear of horrible conse-
quences. Unfortunately, false hydro
phobia, unless wisely and promptly
dealt with by some one who under
stands the delusiOn, possibly may ter
inmate as disastrOusly as the real dis
ease, death from exhaustion being no
uncommon result of one of these sur
renders to suggestion.
The subject of the false disease
howls and snarls and barlxs like o dog,
and will often run frantically about on
all fours like dog, it being the gener-
al belief that the virus inoculates the
victim with canine characteristics.
The victim of true hydrophobia does
rome af those things. "The victim of
actual hydrophobia, though intensely
anxious and terrified, endeavours to
prevent others perceiving the state OF
his mind. To reason or to argue with,
or to command such a patient is q
waste of words, for the disease from
which he suffers is in no way under
his control; but with the imaginary dis
order the case is very different, and sug-
gestions and orders given to him by
one in whom he has confidence, or OF
whom he stands somewhat in awe,
will very generally break up the whole
course of morbid phenomena" He
cites the case of policeman who, hav-
ing been bitten by dog, was frighten.
ed by the talk and comments of his
comrads into a case of false hydrophob.
bia. He had commissions and spasms
of fearful violence at the sight of water
but drank brandy freely. Whereupou
DIR. Hammond held glass of water tc
him and sternly commanded him tt
drink 1t. The officer complied, and
next day was about his work as usual
In real rabies incubation is evident
not earlier than ten days after the bite
usually not earlier than two months
and not after lapse eff two years. An
other thing, person bitten by a "mad
dOgn that "recovers" need have no feal
of hydrophobia, because the dog suffer
ing from real rabies dies inevitably
within five days. The long and shor
of the matter Ii, as we have urged man,
times before this, real hydrophobia i
SO infrequent as hardly to be feared
and the many so-called cases are pro
duced in the victim not by dog bite
but by fear working through the imag
ination upon a sensitive nervous or
ganization.