The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-07-25
DEATH FROM FEAR
A Man Bitten by a Dog Thinks he
HES HydrOphObia.
THE PART SYMPATHY PLAYED
Neighbors Were so Solicitous About him
They Awakened his Fears-All the Tests
for Hydropbobia Failed.

Especial TO THE HERALD-Examiner Dlspatch.I
NEW YORK, July 24.-Charles Frank,
who was reported on Wednesday to be
dying Of hydrophobia at his home in Rah-
way, died at his home at o'clock yester-
day afternoon of blood poisoning and
fright Frank was 30 years old and worked
as helper in blacksmith shop in Railway.
Four weeks ago he was sent on an GRAND
by his employer and when passing Frank
Rublett's house, Riblette, mongrel dog,
sprang over the fence at him and seized
his left hand. Its teeth penetrated the
palm near the wrist The bite was not
deep. Frank sh co.. the dog off and hurried
TO the drug store and had the clerk cauter-
ize the wound. Then he went home He
told the neighbors about the accident and
they sympathized with him and told him
repeatedly how much they hoped ne would
Tot die of hydrophobia- He hadn't thought
of such a thing till they suggested it, That
night the middle finger Of the bitten hand
began to swell and ne complained of
twitching in the muscles of his arm and of
shooting pains. His wife told him that
pork bound on his arm would surely stop
all that and it did. He went TO work
next day and ali his fellow laborers
asked him how he felt aud
''did hope he wouldn't get hydrophooia-"
He went home early that afternoon with
the same symptoms of the night before.
He lay awake most OF The night, tossed
about in bed ana occasionally grunted IN
way suggestive of a bark. When his wife
told him to keep still she says he answered,
holding up MS finger, that's the death OF
me, I'll be barking next
Frank worked next day and had more
sympathy thrus' upon him. So his conol-
ton the third night was worse than ever.
Meantime his finger had swollen 10 twice
its natural size. He went to u doctor and
had il lanced and bound up with lint Tue
finger continued TO grow thick and dark
and on the fifth day 1t was lanced twice
After that it did not trouble Frank so
much, but the wound did not heal. His
neighbors and acqualn tances heard OF that
and continued TO sympathize with him and
to assure him they did not believe he would
get hydrophobia- He endured all until
last Monday night. He worked until Fri
day. Monday night while talking TO his
wife he held up his finger and said, ''that's
my death" He Immediately fell TO
the floor and began to twitch
his muscles. The neighbor and
Mrs. Frank agreed between them that ii
was hydrophobia- Frank heard the decls-
ion as he laid there on the floor. The neigh
DOT Sdlu sue was aIEdlu W lOuCu uAiA anu
that she wouldn't stay alone in the house
with him all night for anything in the
world. She succeeded completely in scar
ing MIR. Frank, and two male neighbors
and DIR. Oliver were sent for. The men
lifted poor Frank up and put him in a bed.
The doctor came and said it was not hydro
phobia, because the man did not have con-
vulsions when water was offered to him
In the morning when the doctor came ne
held up his finger as he dad held IL up to
his wife aud said il would be the death OF
him. The doctor tried the water test
again. The sick man drank as IL there was
nothing the matter with him. The doctor
told him to drink brandy and water. After
wards two meddlesome neighbors came in
and in Franks hearing said: 1.-THE poor
man he will surely die from nydrophobia-"
Tuesday Frank drank great deal OF water
and also brandy and water. On "Wednesday
morning the doctor tried the test again
and there was no trouble about
swallowing and he shook his head,
and said surely there was no hydrophooia-
Frank had no faith in what he said.
Wednesday night the GOODNESS Of his limbs
gradually Spread. Black spots appeared
on the left side of the lips and on the left
ear, and before morning had spread until
both lips and all OF the ears were as black
as the hand. The blackDess in the hand
extended TO the wrist. Several drinks of
water were given to Frank during the
night Thursday morning he ate little
food. The doctor was elated and left the
house. He was greatly surprised when he
heard that Frank had died at o'clock.
Frank apparently suffered no pain during
the last few hours. DR.. Oliver firmly be-
lieyes the man died from fright.