The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-27
REAL CASES or HYDROPHOBIA.

REAL CASES or HYDROPHOBIA.
Doctors Refute the Argument That the Dis.
case Is Only Imaginary.
Discussion has been carried on in the Wash
ington newspapers upon the subject Of hydro
phobia one party TO the dispute declares that
there is no such disease; that all cases OF So
called hydrophobia are lyssophobia. or hysteri-
cal limitations Of a disease that does not exist
on the other hand many defend rabies. declar-
ing that its existence is fully proved and that II
is a fatal ailment in animals and mar when
once il has developed, Foremost on this side
of the discussion Is DR.. d. Z. Salmon. Chief OF
the Bureau OF Animal Industry, whose pamphlet
on the subject has recently been published by
the United 5 ates Department Of Agriculture
In this brochure DR.. Salmon declares that
there is at present in Washington and the
vicinity an unusual outbreak OF this disease.
which has been prevalent since last October.
and that up to April IS. eighteen children and
six adults had been bitten In the District OF
Columbia and the Immediately adjacent country
by rabid dogs. No deaths have resulted. due.
DR.. Salmon thinks. TO the promptness with
which the victims have received the Pasterr
treatment. He saws that the newspapers which
| are 1OsteTlIlR the theory tntI rHfT' J. 10 wv
disease as rabies are spreading danger. as they
encourage persons owning dogs 10 believe that
rabies when il does break out, is nothing more
| than n temporary distempcr. and dogs hat
should be confined or destroyed at once IRE
left free until they become violent and rush
forth biting other animals and human beings.
He denounces also the protests against muz-
cling dogs as weak sentimentaity. Rabies is
official Y rpCOgniIpd "a a disease he W ritas
by the governments OF nearly all the principal
countries of civilization. the great veterin airy
schools. the recent and important ~treatises on
veterinary medicine. the international Neterin-
airy Congress. the American Veterinary Medical
Association. and most of the text books on
human medicine.
For proof OF the local existence Of the disease
he appends a number o. letters from experts TO
in the affirmative TO DR. salmon s query whether
the correspondent teaches the existence OF ra-
bies. Prof Law, director Of the Now York
many cases Of rabies in animals had been
treated there. and said
81 know of the case Of Neil, the keeper G. the
dog pound at Newark. y, j, who died OF rabies
consequent on the bite ola rabid dog. drought
a portion Of his meduila to Ithaca and inocul-
ated a dog and q number of rabbits, some on
the brain and others simultaneously with the
result that all showed rabies after the custom
airy periods of incubation. l have the best Of
evldencs OF a number 81 men who contracted
~ wv ~ tAl'h VI wv NV W
brain) incubation Of the disease was success
fully made on the lower animals to prove It's in
fective character.
"On the other hand. | know If a number Of
cases in which people who had been bitten by
dogs have developed symptoms Of hv1rophohia
as the simple result OF Tear, mimicking To
dis ease would guide them. One such case here
in Ithaca, whore the actual disease has never
lion Of saw z from a horrible death. after the
paroNy-ms had reached n frequency Of one
every half hour. The unreal nature Of such
~fancifui cases is not. however. any disproof Of
the actual infections IN which the virulent
saliva or brain of the human victim has pro-
duced rabies in the lower animals In a %continu-
sion Of such a result. The person who denies
the real because there exists q counterfeit il In
this case an. exceedingly dangerous person,
about as. much in need Of s%ecluston as the rabid
dog itself The disease prevails al present in
Erie county. y. Y"
Prof Charles ? Lyman Of the Veterinary De-
partmenf of Harvard University suggests that
the lyssophobia arguments. based on the sup.
position that the patient Is merely the victim OF
an historical fear, fal! to the ground In the case
dog, as a high degree Of hysterical imagination
can hardly be ascribed TO the domestic pig, and
the domestic zig has been known to develop
He details a case OF rabies in man which came
to his notice a. follows:
During an outbreak which had been discov-
cred and located by the then cattle commission
Of the state. NJ which | was at the time secre-
tary. a. being present In several Of the near
towns 10 the eastward o. s99st9n' q large n oE.
oHicer Doe, il one Of The streets fn Lynn.a
town ~ ST., situated ;nwDs s' ,Ss, we're Sf eight nn,,, m ,b., s ,Ins
thought TO cover the infected area, and bit him
rather severely After the policeman, was
Of the dog being mad and advised him to go
to the Pastaur Institute in New York for pre-
ventiye treatment. He laughed az the matter
said that he was not afraid, and that he would
take his chances Within n short time there
after he was taken Ill with symptoms that were
recognized by the local medical men as being
those Of hydrophobia. and he died after dread
full s%ufering. During the time in. which he was
iii he was nursed By several Of his brother
policemen. one Of whom received q confusion
the skin This man was very much frightened
and went immediately 10 the Pasteur lnsi tute
in New York and was given the preventive
treatment. Nothing Of ~hvdrophobia was ever
shown by him,
Prof leonard Pearson. dean Of the Neterin-
ary Department Of the University o. Pennsyl-
vania, writes that betweep three and four nun
dra1 cases Of unqueStionahle rabies in animals
have been received in the hospital there. Asto
rabies in man he says.
have or~-srsS! IN Pennsylvania and tn dlaeno;
sea in some Of these cases have been conf1rmed
bv the incubation Of animals with pieces NJ
the brain During the last year there have been
two fatal cases in Lancaster, one IN hennett
square, one in Philadelphia and one In ALLIE
RhHnN, InTee yeNrN ago one ol Inv. WVIhirHb
veterinarians Of P~ennsylvanil died Of rabies
following the bite ~ n rab'd dog
Dr. Salmon announces himself a.. being after
the man who offered through one Of the " ash
ington papers to give 500 ~. any charity Tor
proof Of 4 case Of hydrophobia in either man
or dog. and laments the fact that this gentle
man has apparently taken to the woods. invit-
ing him. by strong implication, to come forth
and show himself and his money. In conolu-
sion he states that tests have Just been
comrlet.d in tho case of a disease which, re:
Gently killed eighteen head Of cattle In the herd
Of the Government Hospital for the Insane.
which disease was diagnosed rs rabies at the
time of the first pos'-mortem examinations.
The laboratory tests. he saws, show conclu-
sively that the disease was rabies.