The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1895-02-01
A CASE WITHOUT a PARALLEL.

This community was stirred and
shaken from its center TO its far
thest borders last Saturday af-
ternoon, shortly after the steamer
Beulah Brown landed at our wharf
from her trip up the river. A mot
ley crowd Of one poor woman, four
children and several men, the chill
dren being partly led and partly
carried, made its way up the grade
and turned in the direction of the
Court House. A short halt at the
Forth gate OF the public square was
made, and then the strangers head
ed toward the town hall. In few
minutes the singular procession, by
this time largely augmented in
numbers, made its way to the
Court House, and the dread cry
"Hydrophobia y was on every lip,
and there was indeed sufficient
cause for the terrible alarm. Two
of the children were making the
most horrible cries, barking and
bowling like dogs, and snarling
and swapping at all who came near.
The men In charge OF the unfortu-
nate children told as they passed
along with the stricken ones that
one OF the boys had been bitten by
a mad dog and that he had bitten
a younger brother, The fearful news
rapidly spread, and in an lncred-
IDLY short time every house had
heard that children with hydropho-
bia, that strange, mysterious, awful
disease, were in our midst. Peo-
pie flocked to the court room TO see,
to hear and to suggest or proiier
aid. They could see four strug-
Cling, misunderstanding children,
a strange looking father and poor
heart-broken mOthp.. They could
hear those ible,strangely famil-
lar cries, with scarcely any inter
mission. City and county officials
were present, puzzled by the fear.
ful novelty Of the problem which
confronted them. Physicians
were there, examining, questioning
and consulting; doubtfulas to d.
agnosis, but strongly inclined from
all they were able TO learn to say
that they were now, for the first
time in their lives, brought face to
face with hydrophobia in a human
being. This was their verdict,
and no time was to be lost ii lives
were TO be saved. Prominent citi-
zens, including the officials OF the
town and county, began to devise
ways and means. a telegram was
sent to the Mayor OF Chicago ask
ing lfthe Pastcur Institute OF that
city would receive the stricken
ones, and a note for seventy-five
| dollars, signed by many OF our best
business men, was promptly dis.
counted by our bank and in this
way funds for expenses were raised
Fires were built in the jury rooms
and every provision was made fol-
the care and comfort OF the afflicted
family.
As order and system grew out o
the wild confusion we were enabled
to learn some particulars. A
stated above there were four chill
drcn Joe aged 10, Tom, IL, Cora
. and Taylor 6. They are the chill
dren of Andrew Cole and wife, VIII,
/ for a year or moro have been livinI
on Georges creek, this county
About seven years ago Joe wa
bitten by IA dog, said to have beef
rabid. No bad results were per
coptible for about two years, whel
the boy began to have "spells.
These only came about oncoa year
however, lie was closely watched
but short time ago he bit hi
brother Tom on the arm. About |
month ago Joe began to hav
spasms, attended with frothing a
the mouth, and swapping an,
barking like a dog. However Their
were no commissions at tho sight O
water and no difficulty in swallow
ing. The long duration of the paI
oxysmal season and the ease wit,
which water and other fluids wer
swallowed threw a doubt over tn
correctness of the early diagnosis
Tho girl Cora and the youngest DO.
Taylor, had not been bitten, neitt
or was their any evidence that the
/, had been infected by the deadl
, virus. The father too, admitte
that he did not "foel right; in faC
during Saturday night he becam
so violent that he had to DO tie,
and handcutred to prevent hir
from doing harm to himself and hi
attendants.
These facts and rs much OF I'll
family history as could be loarne
were carefully studied by phys
clans. Old teachings were recalled