The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-08
1roCU1ArED ron HrDRoPHoBrA.
n Patients Description or Hts Experience
In tho PaSteur Institute.


by a Newfoundland dog owned by friend,
While was pattinG the dog on tile
back, Carlo suddenly turned. caught mo
by the right hand. and inserted his
teeth almost the whole length OF the hand
from the middle joint OF the little finger to be-
low the wrist. Almost simultaneously jerRed
my hand from the dogs mouth. in doing which
severe laceration followed. But little blood
flowed from the wounds Tho blood was black.
II was at once sucked away by the victim;
calaterlzation was literally applied-too freely.
IN ract, and the limb was temporarily dressed
hat0 such time a. proper antiseptic lotion OF
opium and lead could be obtained.
In addition to the laceratlons there were
eight distinctly marked imprlnts Of Carlos
teeth, two OF them being nearly quarter OF
an inch deep. Tho palm escaped injury.
Carlo went to his kennel In ashameiaced sort
OF way. as though conscious Of what he had
done. He was afterward pRtted by other Wis
itors who we're not aware how snappy he was.
The following day. Monday, the dog was
takon to CanRrsie Bay and drowned Whether
he had becn bitten by any other dog or whether
he had ever developed any symptoms OF rabies
is not known.
The hand continued to swell and the pain
Increased doubtless by the free application Of
oaustic. became intense. Several doctors saw
the wounds, among others Deputy Coroner
jenkins and Dr.. Cyrus Edison, chief Of the
Bureau OF Contagious Diseases, both Of whom
advised resorting to the Pasteur system
This l. how became patient OF DR.. Paul
Gtber, the director Of the Pasteur Institute III
this city. had no dread Of hydrophobia. but
had very keen sense OF V hat It meant.
Tho doctor is gentloman slightly below the
average height; lie has seanty black hair, Is
s"d Sqa q Pns G but sro Fsy
brilliant and hi4 demeanor Is r that Of !. thor
tlhpnf favOTRblv.
His language is hret but to the point and his
candid way 81 putting things at once interests st..
look Of q Thorough student His age should
very little difference whether my wounded
hand had been bitten to pulp or whether |
been bitten and that was enough.
told him. Of course, that the dog had been
mon error that most people make. 1t would have
been better TO have kept the dog; TO have
rabies It would soon hay. becomS apparent.
bite Of . healthy dog II no was sick there Is a
bitten patients. by killing the AM NAL cut on
the very means Of ascertaining whether their
the y brain q the animal The elenent 81
argument in favor OF incubation"
The inocuiatory process was, therefore, de-
cided upon: but. bet ore describing my own sem
cations, let me say that so far as can discover
from conversing with several OF Dr. Giber's
The w9 % by tS s ass
tion OF tho hypodermic nesde is common to
M but the 81 to be
laboratory who actually smiles wheE the ny
tells MON ms hat fSf veas
Of s
souri, Is not quite so phlegmatic. and so the OK
Of that 81 another The seven children from
Illinois now undergoing treatment also vary in
a remarkable degree in the versions of their
The virus and the injecting syringe comprise
the operator appSratu.: The latter Is made
me so ha R not 5uR Break By IT hs
half an inch in diameter. The lower TART OF
the syringe is graduated on marked scale, in
to sixty mnims OF virus. The operator can
therefore regulate the quantity Of virus he de;
into socket. is about an inch long
My first incubation WAS received on We'd
essS Nay s b T9o tho @ here H@s
smart and momentary feeling as OF burning
followed Both before and after the injection
the skin was moistened with an antiseptic
fluid. A slight reddish swelling took place in
very few minutes; bnt no, no further ineonyen,
Of my body were quite sore. as though l had
The second days experience was much tho
same, except that the soreness increased A
peculiar sensation resembling mid form Of
tre OF my back while undressing at night but
felt n" further inc"nyeniences and slept well.
The shocks continued Tor about three min utee.
l mentioned these facts to tine doctor. who
said that my skin was exceptionally sensitive.
hal reserved u severe injury on the left side
Of my body several years ago and he added
that probably this uper-Sensitiveness was duo
aT mE G so haS tna %6
It. Bat T. ese sensations were not imaginary.
for made note of my impressions directly
On the third. fourth, and fifth days my skin
became very red and distress ncly sensitive TO
the Fiction of my underclothing. Numerous
small swelliugs appeared and constant irrita-
tion fol owed. Another new phase appeared
sirion. The doctor ordered hot baths. as hot
as could bear them My appetite. usually
nnd bdtb a nns h ne
On the SIXTH seventh. and eighth days these
symptoms continued with Intermittent yio-
lence. succeeded by pa n In the lumhar region
and heavy aching In the back of the head. |
iu spirit. Tho hot baths were taken each day
until the redne?s disappeared. aud the sore
time rosem6lol several small pincushions and
became slightly discolored as though IL were
bruised Most OF these sensations were felt at
night. and were sufflciently strong 10 prevent
sound sleep until early morning MY tenth IN
fS W. bove on s nnI
form. Nearly every unpleasant sensation has
disappeared. the throbbings in the arms eX-
copied. but these are not nearly so violent. My
apnette IS good, and my rest at night + undis-
turbed This result Is TO a layman the moro
unaccountable from the fact that the more
frequent the inoculations the greater 10 the
strength OF the virus.
The fourteenth and final injection was re-
ceived last ednesday. when tho Doctor pro-
npunced me to DO proof against hydro
phoba for the next five years. So far the
lts efficiency beyond that period.
The mere injection OF virus IS but an insig-
hiiipRnt
taken In the preparation OF tho virus Is mot
Interesting. Or. Gibier tells me that before
a single incubation Is administered to any OF
his patients ility rabbits arc first Experimental
upon. Up to aud including the fifth Injection
the virus consists OF the secretons OF dead
hydrophoblc microbes Beyond that point
living microbes are injected into the human
body until the natient is discharged,
10 keep full supply OF virus for 1t soon
ovaporateS when exposed to tho air and light
Gdo1en rabbits are kept on hand, and one of
these dies every day from hydrophobia, In
my case the last virus used was taken II ON the
253d rabbit. the first having been inoculated
by Prof. Pasteur from the brain OF a dog that
had died OF this dreadful disease.