The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-08
HORSE HAS HYOROPHOBIA.
Pittsburg Animal, Which Was Bitten by a
Dog, Has To Be Killed.
(From the Pittsburg Dispatch. }

(from Gne E1GtSpurg O1GpaGCn.
An acute case of hydrophobia developed
suddenly in this city. The victim was
only horse. 1t was bitten by q mad
dog three weeks ago, but no ill effect S
were felt until yesterday morning. when
violent and unmistakable attack Of
hydrophobia seized the unfortunate
sufferer. After working with him for
several hours the attending physician
gave up all hope and ordered that he be
knocked on the head with a sledgs ham,
mer. While the victim was only d horse,
the Manifestations of the disease were
strange and terrible.
Gases of hydrophobia, no matter how
severe or how hopeless, are not usually
disposed of in this summary way. But
in this case the remedy applied was
doubtless the best possible. Poor Barney
had been tortured for hours by the most
fiendish agony, which would probably
be raoking his quivering frame even yet
but for the meroiful blow that orushe d
his skull and put him out Of misery.
Barney is, or was, a sturdy gray hor Sc
belonging to the Pittsburg Transfer COM
pany. He was about eight years old,
active, and one of the most Intelligent
animals belonging to the company. He
was their market horse having for a
long time hauled produce from the rail-
roads to the market, where he was gen.
eral favorite with the market women.
The gentle beast was sudd emily trans
formed into raving maniac, beating his
head against the sides of the stall till it
was wonder his skull was not crushed.
Barney was standing at the Lack Erie
station March Is. when mongrel grey
hound, with every symptom of rabies,
leaped up and snapped at the horses
head. His teeth made a slight wound in
Barney's nostril. The dog was killed
and the horses wound was oauteriZed
within an hour after the bite.
The horse worked regularly after that
up until 6 O'Clock Tuesday evening.
About 2 a. m. yesterday a great COM
motion was heard in his stall, He was
found to be moving about spasmodioally,
much as human being does when
afflicted with the horrible disease. From
that time on he grew worse ana worse.
and would probably have killed himself
in his violent spasms If he had not been
securely tied with ropes which were
thrown about him from each side of the
stall. About noon DR.. Jennings decided
to quiet him with choral A syringe
was forced between his teeth and two
ounces of the drug were squ1rted down
his throat, when he bit the syringe in
two in his made struggles. The chloral
soon took effective ounces are enough
to kill two or three ordinary horses-and
the beast was soon SO Supplied that he
could be led out of the stall, and down
to the cellar, where there was more room
to accomplish the unpleasant task of
putting him out of misery.
1t WAS hard task, too. DR.. Jennings
said be had never seen an animal SO hard
to kill. He said almost any one of the
half dozen blows that were necessary
would have killed an animal in its nor
NAL condition.
His whole head WAS skinned and lace
arted from the fearful blows he had Civ
| en- it in dashing it against the sides OF
! the STALL 1t was a well developed and
we'll defined case of hydrophobIa, there
ould be no doubt about that.
| 1t is a rare disease among horses. Vet
erinarians say it was the first authentic
case they had seen in Allegheny county
in 25 years. 1t is just as horrible and
| fatal as to men-even more horrible and
terrifying, in fact, because of the greal
size and strength of the animal. The
mad struggles of the insane beast were
something frightful-and pitiful. 1t il
to be hoped another quarter of century
will pass before the doctors get their sec
ond case. They say the mad plungings
even while blindfolded, were caused b,
fright at the horrible images conjured b!
the brain of the poor, mad animal.