The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-23
AWFUL DEATH FROM RABIES.
FIRST CASE KNOWN IN SAVANNAH
SINCE THE WAR.

20 Began to Feel the Evil Effects
of 1t March 1S-severe spasms of
the Throat ON Attempting to svaI-
low wnter-Rccurrence of the
spasms Finally Produced DEATH.
An Autopsy Held symptoms OF
Rabies All Seen in Her Case.
Miss Jennie Z. Gatigny died of rabies
at her home at Seventh and Bull streets
yesterday morning about o'clock Her
sufferings from spasms of the throat and
larynx. just before her death, were ter
rible and It was impossible to do anything
for her relief.
There was no doubt about its being a
genuine case of rabies, the diagnosis
showing It beyond question. The circum-
stances prior to the attack were additional
evidence December 20 Miss Glatigny took
her dog and went out for a walk toward
Mr.. Kiesling's place, short distance from
her home. When near there she saw two
dogs one Of which attacked her dog, and
when she took a stick to beat ii off, the
other dog sprang at her and bit her
through the leshy part of the right hand,
between the thumb and forefnger.
Miss Glatigny went on to Mrs. Kies-
ling's, where some turpentine was ap-
piled to the wound, and after some days
it healed up. On Jan. u it broke out
again, and DIR. Stanley was called. He
pricked the hand and let out a small ac-
emulation Of pus. after which it healed
again, and she took no further notice of
it until Thursday, March is, seventy-nine
days after the bite, when about u o'clock
noon she began to feel a pain In the hand,
which ran up the arm, through the Shout
der and down her side. She was very
restless Friday night and in the morning,
and complained that the pain kept annoy
ing her. She was about the same Friday
night, and Saturday morning about 10
O'Clock she sent for Or. George H. Stone.
When DIR. Stone called he found her suf-
fering from this pain, but there were no
other symptoms, and 1t appeared that she
had taken cold. The pain was easily re-
lieved, and 1t did not return. She had one
choking spell and on the return of DR..
Stone Sunday morning, she complained
that she had not slept through the night,
though she had suffered no pain. She then
showed signs of rabies In her inability to
swallow, and from then until o'clock In
the morning when she died, there was a
constant succession of spasms whenever
she wished for water eagerly and would
hold a glass of it in her hand for an hour
at time, while the sight of it did not seem
disagreeable to her, yet when she attempt
ed to swallow 1t her effort would make the
spasms of the throat still more intense,
and these kept up continuously to the time
of her death. nature being unable to en-
dure longer the severe strains produced
Miss Glatigny was conscious to the time
of her death She knew those about her,
and would talk whenever she had long
enough relief from the constantly recur-
ring spasms of the throat to do so. Tier
case was accompanied by all of the other
symptoms of rabies such as extreme ner-
vous irritability. Touching her nose or
attempting to blow it would bring on a
severe spasm, as would also any draught
of air no matter how slight. On one oc-
casion the suggestive treatment was tried,
and she was finally enabled to drink
glass of water through the induced belief
that she could do 1T. But this could not
be kept up and the spasms became more
frequent and more severe until death re-
lieved her.
Yesterday morning DIR. Stone and Drs.
Graham and Drummer held an autopsy for
the purpose of making a thorough inves-
tigation of the case. There was no doubt
in the minds of any of them that 1t was
a true case of rabies. They took some of
the virus and will cultivate it and try its
effect on some animal such as a rabbit,
for the purpose of more thoroughly under
standing the case.
Miss Glatgny was SS years old and was
well known in Savannah. She was a
devout member of the St. PauPs Episco-
pal church and a member of its Parish
Aid Society. Her brother, Mr. John f.
Glatigny, Is the only surviving member Of
her family in Savannah The funeral
will take place this afternoon at o'clock
from her late residence, at Bull and
Seventh streets.
The case has brought about considera-
BILE comment with regard to dogs and
rabies. This, physicians say, is the only
case of rabies that has been known in
Savannah since the existence of the old
Oglethorpe College, before the war, when
colored man was attacked and died
from it.
The symptoms of rabies are altogether
in the nervous system, producing an eX-
altation of the reflex nervous irritability,
especially in those nerve centers relating
to deglutition and the phenomena of res
piration This Is followed by an abnormal
degree of nervous irritability of the spinal
motor centers with mental and moral dis
turbances and frightful recurring spasms
induced by attempts at deglutitlon, with
the presence of a thick mucous or saliva
in the pharynx. The patient is irritated
by the slightest movement Of the atm0s-
phere, and great distress comes with the
attempts to swallow All of these symp-
toms We're seen in Miss Glatgny's case
The term hydrophoba is often a mislead-
ing one. A patient may have the fear of
"A liquid hydrophobla without the rabies.
and there may also be rabies without the
spasmodlc symptoms. This was a plain
case of rabies in which the spasms We're
produced, not by the fear of the liquid
water, but by the fear of the pain which
would be caused by the attempt to swal-
low it, and by the attempt itself.
DR.. Stone thinks, under the cIrcums tanc-
es, the city should take some action with
regard to the large number Of dogs which
are allowed TO roam the streets at liberty
to go where they please In his opinion
the city should require owners of dogs
which are allowed to go at large to keep
them muZzled, and to have a badge on
them, whenever they are at large. The
trouble is with the large number of cur
dogs which are absolutely worthless and
which would be better ont of the way
Mayor Meldrim was notified of this case
and turned It over 20 DIR. Drummer with
instructions to make an investigation and
a report
WEARY WAGGLES WEARY THIN