Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-24

man who was General Grants surgeon In
his last illness, and whose connection with
prominent cases has given him world
wide reputation, declares that DIR. Gibier' s
Institute is delusion.
DIR. sHRADY ON THE METHOD.
When seen in his cosy office on Lexing-
ton avenue, it was with considerable reluc-
tance that DR.. Shrady was made to express
himself but when pressed for his opinion
of DR.. Gibier's establishment and hydro
phobia in human beings, DR.. Shrady said:
'In all my practice, in and out of hos
pitfalls, have never seen case of genuine
hydrophobia, and. further than that, L have
never known a physician who has. Rather
a strong assertion, isn't it, considering the
fact that there is a regularly established in
stitute in this city where DR.. Gibier is pre-
venting-I use the word advisedly-pre-
venting, 1 say, hundreds of cases of rabies
every week, and making both fame and, in
cidentally, fortune for himself
'tNow, understand that we do not deny
that there may be disease called hydro
phobia. There are many cases cited in med
ical literature, the authenticity of which
would seem to be unquestioned. What we
do deny is that hydrophobia is as prevalent
or as liable to occur with such frequency as
DR.. Gibier and other disciples of Pasteur
would have people believe. We deny that
a bite from every swapping cur will produce
rabies, and further we deny that dog
afflicted with genuine case of rabies would,
of necessity, be followed by hydrophobia in
the injured person. We have q right to
deny these things until they have been
proven to our satisfaction.
MISTAKEN CASES OF HYDRoPHoBIA.
'What is it, then, doctor, that is mistaken
for hydrophobia?"
s-Oh, most anything that suits their pur-
pose. The various forms of hysteria are
often called by the more terrible name, and
under this cloak wonders are performed.
| Tetanus or lockiaw is sometimes mistaken,
sometimes purposely, 1 suppose, for hydro
| phobia, and again are miraculous cures
worked. But 1 must say that out of the
thousands of dog bite that have come under
| INV notice or care never knew one to result
in hydrophobia.
81 was once staying at little country
| village. There was mad dog scare. / saw
the brute myself, and thought at the time
that he was mad He ran down the road
foanning and frothing at the mouth, his head
down, swapping at animals and persons.
Several people were bitten very badly. One
| little girl had her cheek nearly torn off.
There was great excitement in the village, of
course, and the injured people, came to me
for treatment. was afraid of hydrophobia
then, believing the brute to be mad, but L
! treated the wounds as 1 would ordinary in
iuries Did they all die of hydrophobia?
They certainly did not. That was ten years
! ago, and every one of them lives to-day.
THE SECRET OF DIR. CHEERS SUCCESS.
"Now, what is DR.. Gibier trying to do?
Simply trying to prevent what is not likely
to occur. Naturally he is making a big sue
cess of it. Think of the many thousands of
persons who are bitten by dogs, mad or
otherwise, every year. Then see how few
cases of hydrophobia there are. Now sub
tract from the whole number of cases these
which are really something else, and you
have left very small quantity. 1t is
nothing in fact. And this is what DR..
Gibier is preventing.
"Pasteur is great man, learned scien-
tist and he has given to the world num-
Der of important truths. but in his latest
! flight methinks he is mistaken. 1t is quite
possible that his treatment does no harm, but
what is the use of preventing what is not
going to happen? As for myself, 1 would
rather take my chances any day with o dog
bite than with the cures. How, pray, can
they prove that their virus does not remain
inert when it has no visible effect?
'tIn the case of vaccination for smallpox
there is tangible result. Smallpox cases
assured, too, that it can be prevented BY in
oculation. In the case of an alleged hy-
drophobia patient there are no pathological
symptoms, no typical post mortem condi-
tious that assure us that it was a case of hy-
drophobia-
DEALING WITH UNKNOWN QUANTITIES.
elbow then are we to tell if an inocula-
tioh has been successful or not? 1t brings
us into dealings with quantities which are
so vague as to be altogether at variance with
medical precision.
''But some people will say that whether
it has been proven that incubation prevents
or not, it is well to be on the safe side
Possibly. But suppose some crank should
pop up and say that he has discovered
virus which would prevent typhoid fever.
Well, if 100 people had been exposed and
they should al1 be inoculated-it is prob
able that not one of these people would have
taken the fever any way-they are inocu-
lated, however, and the crank claims 100
wonderful cures.
"Where is the necessity, we ask. Why ex-
cite and alarm the people to such an ex-
tent? That is just what is being DONE
People have been worked up to such pitch
that one man in every ten, at least, who has
at some time or other been bitten imagines
when he has little difficulty in swallowing
his cup of coffee in the morning that he has
the premonitory symptoms of rabies. The
truth is he has got little sore throat from
getting his feet wet the night before.
SUCCESSFUL IN TUBERCULOSIS
Eve could criticise DIR. Gibier's peculiar
methods of advertising himself, but we will
not. That is his affair. In his speciality,
tuberculosis, he is unquestionably success
full, but as a preventor of hydrophobia-
pshaw! will only say that, if he is sincere,
he is mistaken. That is the opinion of the
greater part of the medical profession.
The case of young Hugo Eitel is interest
ing in view of DIR. Shrady's remarks. The
boy was prostrated by the heat about one
him so that he had high fever Then he
said he had been bitten by dog. This lut
the boys aunt, with whom he was staying,
in terrible fright.
The physician called in aggravated mat
ters by refusing the boy water while he was
burning up with thirst caused by the fever,
and four big burly men with pillows were
stationed in the room with orders to rush
upon the boy with pillows whenever he
moved. This frightened the lad into con-
vulsions. Then he was taken to the Pres
bvterian Hospital, in the city. DR.. Huppe,
who had charge of the case at the hospital,
said: 'tThe boy is really suffering from
what is known as hystero-neurosia, an hys-
terical or highly excited state of the nerv-
ous system. This resulted in the convul-
sions which seemed to be of hydrophobiac
character.
SUFFERING FROM CANINE sPAsMs.
''It is true that when young Eitel was
first brought to the hospital he gave evil |
dences of subjective variety of hydropho-
L Al 4