St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-15

doctors, to the G o b e, that the dis
ease remained dormant in the human
system but a few months at the farth-
est was not correct. DR.. Sweeney was
convinced that the disease could de-
velop after eighteen months, and might
possibly develop after several years
from the date of incubation. Feeley
had been bitten in the left hand by a
dog a year ago last November, while
his recent bite was in the right hand
Yet, when he became i'll, his left hand
was the first affected. Possibly it was
the first and not the second dog that
was mad, or that conveyed the fatal
virus.
Asked to describe the genuine hy-
drophobia with which he was familiar,
Dr.. Sweeney told what symptoms did
not exist. The patient did not fear
water. He was often, like Feeley, anx-
ious to drink. But the attempt to swaI-
low water brought on a convulsive
spasm of the throat, and even the
thought of swallowing, caused by the
sight of water, induced similar spasms.
Ihe hydrophobic patient was afflicted
with constant insomnia,-that is" said
the doctor, in explanation, "he can't
sleep at all, you know"
Feeley didn't crouch in corners. and
| he didn't exhibit a distorted counte
nance, as has been stated. But he suf
fered from frequent shudderines and
tremors. He was delirious a good part
OF the time, but he could be talked out
or MS Vagaries and temporarily re-
stored to lucidity. This peculiar de-
lirium was also characteristic of nv
drophobia. Sometimes the vagaries
are such as to induce violence, The
reverse is usually true, and FeeIey had
SHOWN no desire to attack or to bite his
attendants, and had needed no re-
stra1nt. No patient stricken with tha
disease ever bites or snaps at his at
tendants. Feeley's hallucinations were
all IN the form of suspicious. directed
towards every one around him. EarIv
yesterday morning he became uncon-
| sclous. This was due to the annroacb
OF the paralysis which eventually over
taxes certain nerve centers i'm the
brain. These are the seat Of hvdrn7 ,
phobla. For an hour or more previons
to his death, Feeley was in a comatose
condition. '0'0
Although DR.. Sweeney recognized en-
many of the characteristics of hvdro-
phopla IN this case, he desired to make
sure OF his diagnosis He therefore in
Iehued 10 assist at an autopsy on Fee
portion of the spinal marrow or of +ba
brain of the dead man could he securad
dor the purpose of incubation. Dr
sweeney said that one of these portions
Woufd be sent to Dr. Hewitt secra-
taly OF the state board Of health and
another portion to Prof Lee. of the de-
partment OF bacteriology at the state
university. Inc latter gentleman will
then lnoculate rabbits. If the rabbits
afterwards have rabies, DR.. Sweeney
VIII be convinced that he understands
this difficult disease.
IN MOTIFS street reside Mr.. FeeIev's
widow and his two small cbiIdren
one child is girl year old. the Other
boy of three. The family are totally
uhpfoVlded for. visitor to the house
yesterday is said to have discovera6
neither food nor fuel.
CITY Physician Ancker, speaking of
Feeley's case yesterday, said that he
was brought constantly in contact with
injured patients, a large proportion of
whom had been bitten by dogs R11t
this would be the first case of hydro
phobia that he had ever met in ali his
experience. MS
An autopsy was held on FeeIev's re-
mains last evening at the CITY hosnitaI
by DR.. G. A. REM, assisted bv Dr
sweeney. Congestive conditions of the
oraln and spinal cord supported tha
theory OF death from hydrophobia. al
tnough the proof was not regarded as
conclusive. Parts of the medulIa were
| removed, and will be submitted as
stated, to DR.. Hewitt and Prof Tee for
tests by incubation. -'-
Mrs. Feeley satd, when seen at her
nome. I'll Norris street. last night thai
the FUNERAL would probably occur from
the house tomorrow afternoon. The
lnterment will be at Calvary. Mrs.
! Feeley admitted that she had been bit
ten In the wrist of the left hand by
the same dog that bit her husband this
year. The dog had snapped at the two
children, but had not injured them
Mrs. Feeley did not agree with DIR.
Sweeney in her recollection of the cir
| cumstances attending the two dog bites
which her husband sustained. She dis
tinctly recalled that the first time. a
year ago last fall, he was bitten in the
right, and not in the left hand. The
second time, last January, he was BIT
| ten, she said, in the left hand. and it
was in that arm that her husband first
! experienced the pains which began his
! fatal illness.
! Mrs. Feeley desired the public to
know that local evening paper had
| been entirely mistaken in stating that