New-York tribune., 1890-06-12
HYDROPHOBfA OR LOCKJAW.

The bydrophobia case in Bellevue Hospital,
of which an exceedingly interesting report ap-
peared in Tuesdays issue, offers evidence OF
the existence either of that disease or of lock-
iaw As nineteen out of twenty reputed cases
of hydrophoba are spurious there has been an
increasing feeling of scepticism among medical
men respecting the genuine disease. The
French Canadian who was treated at Bellevue
Hospital is declared by the surgeons to have
had hydrophobia in a typical form. He was
bitten by terrier in the wrist about month
ago. but thought nothing of it, and did not
suspect that the dog was afflicted with rabies.
The symptoms of what is assumed to have
been hydrophobia appeared suddenly, but were
not unmstakable. An acute pain in the Scared
wrist, difficulty in swallowing and spasmodlc
respiration were the earliest indications OF the
disease. Its progress was rapid, but was not
characterized by any of those symptoms which
are popularly associated with hydrophobia.
There was an intolerable thirst and the patient
could not swallow anything, but there was no
antipathy to water. There was neither foam
ing at the mouth nor the frenzy OF biting,
swapping or barking. The patient passed from
one spasm into another, and died after inter-
walls of mania from the interference OF mus
cular contraction with respiration 1t is not
by any means certain, however, that death was
not due to lockjaw caused by the laceration
of the wrist.
A large proportion of the alleged cases OF
hydrophobia are either cases OF lockJaw or OF
mental disorder induced by fear of the dread
disease. In this instance there seems to be
reason to doubt the genuineness OF hydro
phobia. While the victim was strong mind
ed. fearless man. who did not brood over the
possible consequences of the terriers attack
upon him, the symptoms were characteristic
of lockjaw as we'll as of genuine hydrophobia.
The record of the case as kept with painstak-
ing care by DR.. Patton is one which will be
critically studied by the profession and by the
scientific world. 1t will confirm the suspicious
of intelligent medical critics that the disease
in its typical form is very rare indeed, and that
nearly all the reported cases which are brought
to the attention of the general public are
spurious.
1t is safe to assume that genuine hydro
phobia, which was once reputed to be dis
ease of frequent occurrence, is gradually disap-
pearing, and is already extremely rare in civil
lied countries. Pasteur and his pupils have
made the mistake, 1nUO WHICH HlculCdl opcoidi-
lists are constantly falling, of identifying every
case brought to their attention as coming with
in the range of their experimental science.
As matter of fact hydrophobia is disease
that is treated so seldom in the public hospitals
that case which is pronounced to be genuine,
like the one at Bellevue is considered med
ical curiosity and attracts widespread interest
in the profession. The disease is disappear
ing, and may not be known at all in the course
of few generations. One cause of its decline
is the more humane treatment which dogs re-
ceive from all sorts and conditions of men IN
civilized countries. Another, and perhaps more
effective, reason for its disappearance, is the
advance of medical science. Many diseases
which were formerly confounded with it are
now Disseminated from it in a more scientific
diagnosis of symptoms. Patients suffering
from a morbid dread of hydrophobia but in
reality dying from tetanus, are not classed by
intelligent medical men, as they once were, as
the victims of swapping terriers.