Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-07-05

- w &c crazy UT mao. lie want
ed to hs+lt everybody who went near
i:ii". Who; fed him. ne would 90 into
'nry and Jomp at me like a little de-
mCu.
One day he got ont of his cage. I
tired to catch him. but he took nm no.
sit.on IN a corner ana showed fight. His
eyes cleaned like FIRE. only there was n
Greenlsh tinye To them. ] soon saw il
"ouldn I d" To fool with him and made
MP my mind that the best thing TO do
would be to get club and kill him. 7
was afraid he had kydrophobia. So |
went out to the wood pile and got a
stick about three feet long.
Just as | drew il and was about 10
strike he made jump and lit on NV
arm. Quick as lightning he buried his
teeth in my arm just above the elbow.
Then he Jumped down and took his sta
ton In the corner again. / was afraid
he would bite somebody else and so I
took the gun and shot him in the head.
I'm few days the place where he
blt me began TO infame. and nv arm
swelled until II was as big az two arms.
We sent for the doctor. and he said II
would have to be pretty careful. or 1
would lose the arm. The next dav was
my regular day for shaking. and |
dreaded il. l tell You The pain in NV
arm was terrible. and / thought that
and the agge at once would be more
than / could stand. But I didn't have
the shake. My legs ached n little. and I
could feel some of the symptoms. but
there was no chill and no fever except
that IN my arm. Ny next shake dav I
missed 1t again and felt no signs of il
at all. But ! had some queer feelings
come over me. wanted to run into the
woods and climb trees. and then / felt
strong desire TO bite somebody. | be-
came raving mad. although l was So
reduced with the ague it took two men
TO hold me. and when | tried TO talk |
barked like squirrel But in a few
days | got over the craze and nv arm
grew &. ttcr and at last X srcmed to be
entirely cured. But l had no more ague.
gained flesh and in few weeks was
as strong as ever and felt perfectly
we'll How TO account for il did not
know, but the doctor studied over the
case good deal and then talked il
over with other doctors. 1t was brought
up in meeting of the county medical
society. and they had me attend the
meeting and tell about it, They finally
all came 10 the conclusion that the
squirrel had inOculated me with virus
that killed the ague germs in my body.
The case was written up in some of the
medical journals. and for awhile / WAS
quite famous.
Il was pleased 10 be cured of the
ague, but AT times the scar on my arm
intiames and gets terribly sore. Then |
have the same feeling / had when il
became sore at first. cannot resist the
impulse to go into the woods and imi-
tate the actions Of n squirrel. My reg
ular food loses its attraction for me.
and live on a diet of nuts and grain.
Then for few days l have the desire
to bite everybody that comes neal me.
and have TO lie restrained or would do
somebody an injury. When that passes
oft. | am all right again.
Il got letter from my old doctor n
few days ago, and he wants me TO 90
down to the Wabash country again.
This antltoxin business has set him 10
thinking about my case. and he has
come To the conclusion that he could
obtain virus from my blood that could
be used to inoculate ague patients and
prevent the disease. l don't want To
have my veins tapped like they do the
horses at the laboratory. but i suppose
| can afford 10 give little blood for the
sake of science and humanity. Perhaps
you II hear of me later if their expert
ments are successful. Detroit News
Tribune.