Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1893-11-09
CONFUSED WITH HYDRopAoelA.

How the "Acute Mania Resembles One
of the Most Dreaded Of All Diseases.
"There has been an unusual number
Of deaths recently from alleged hydro
phobia," said an insanity expert to a
Star reporter yesterday. 'sHowever, we
mad DOCTORS do not share the popular
belief respecting that complaint.
II was called in the other day to at
tend the case of a young woman who
was dying with all the symptoms Of so
called hydrophobia. She was in convul-
sions. When offered water in tin re-
ceptacle, she bit right through the sheet
metal She barked now and then like a
dog and frothed at the mouth.
a'The average general prastitioner
would have diagnosed the case as hydro
phobia off hand. But there was one OBJ
lection to that theory--the patient had
never been bitten by dog or by any
! other animal unless it were an insect.
! Not only was there no question Of mad
dog, but there was no dog at all in the
4 History Of the disease The latter was
nothing more nor less than what the
1 insanity specialist terms 'acnte mania.
''Acute mania is q complaint which
| manifests itself in all Of the symptoms
which are commonly attribSted to ny
| drophobia. The patient is thrown into
4 conYulsions at the sight not only Of
water but Of food, such manifestations
/ varying in different cases. Barking like
dog, frothing at the mouth and biting
/ at whatever is within reach are quite
usual. The unfortunate must be served
/ with both food and water in tin recepta-
cles to avoid danger. In nine cases ont
Of ten death ensues.
\ SIS there no danger, then, in being bit
! ten by q rabid dog? Certainly there is
very great danger. What is the matter
with such dog? He is attacked by a
disease--the familiar complaint called
\ 'septic@mia, or blood poisoning His
4 bite is likely to communicate blood poi
1 soning to the person. bitten 1t is a seri-
Gus and often fatal complaint. Some
times it happens that the individual BIT
| ten receives so severe a shock from the
! fright that the nervous system is upset.
4 'In such o case acute mania may set
4 in. To bring that about the dog need
not berabid. To speak more accurately,
it need not be suffering from blood poi
4 soning. 1t may be perfectly healthy,
and yet the fright occasioned by its bite
may induce the dangerous nervous trou-
! BILE Of which speak think that have
made myself clear. Take particular no.
tice of the. fact that acute mania may be
brought on by q variety Of causes inde-
pendent Of the canine species. But if
the patient has happened at any time
previous to be bitten by dog the trouble
! is at once attributed to that, and the cry
Of hydrophobia is raised.
''NoY, | Will venture to say that one
person out IF every three receives at
\ some. time IN his 4or her life wound.
slight or otherwise, from the teeth of a
dog. Frequently such injuries are in
hicted by playful puppies or otherwise
accidentally. When you consider that
4 this animal lis the intimate friend and
constant companion of man, it is hardly
surprising that such should be the fact.
You say that you yourself have been
slightly bitten ON two occasions: Sup
pose, as is quite possible, that you were
tdheu Will dCuto Aistiilsts pdrhiHS ike u
dog, foaming at the mouth and exhibit
ing a disposition to bite. Would not
your afflicted relations refer the symp-
| toms to one Of those dog bites9 OF course
\ they would. If you died, you would be
\ advertised in the newspapers as victim
/ Of hydrophobia. 34
4 'ssWhat l tell ycui notmerely d theory
4 Of lnyrowll u ri rcserts the belief Of
experts in nervous diseases generally. -
Il Washington Star.