The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-05
BITTEN BY a STRAY CAT.
Mary handlers Taking thc Pnsteul
Treatment for Rabies.


Treatnsent for Rabies.
BALTIMORE. Jan. 5.-BaItimore's Pas
teur Institute at the City Hospital be
gan yesterday the treatment of TWO cases
for possible rabies from the bite Of cat.
The patients are Mrs DeliIah Hare. TWEEN
ty-two years old. residing on Ashland
Avenue. Evergreen, q little village ad-
Joining Roland Park and Daniel Bortner
boy. IU3 Cedar Avenue. Roland Park
Dr. l. Gibbons Smart. of Roland Park
sent the patients to the hospital and,
went before the County CommissI oncrs
and secured an appropriation Of 500 70
assist in paying the expenses Of the case.
How the other $100 viii be raised has not
yet been decided. but it is probable
that d popular subscription Of some
kind VIII be started. as the families Of
the TWO patients are not able 20 pay for
the treatment. Dr.. Smart explained the
origin of the cases as follows.
"On December 25 Mrs. Hare noticed
haIf-grown maltese cat on her porch
and as 4he is not partial TO feIines. she
stopped down TO pick il I'D. intending 10
carry it TO the gate ana drop it over
the fence into the street. As she at
tempted 10 pick up the cat it bit her
on the index finger OF her right hand.
she was so startled and angered that
she gave the cat a kick. which disabled
the animal 80 that il had difficulty in
crawling away she went into the house
and applied the usual home remedies. and
thought little about the matter until
the next day. when her hand seemed
somewhat sitter than il should have
been from. such slight FunctuTes, so
she came 10 me for treatment
The other patient the BoTtner boy,
saw The eat as it was crawling around aft
er biting Mrs Hare. and not knowing how
IL had been injured, decided to take it
home and keep 1t as pet. As he reached
out 10 pick It up the cat gave him FIVE
bites On the Ourstrerched hand drawing
the blood He also gavg yell and kicked
the offending animal but went further
and tied a stone ground her neck and
drowned her in a stream back OF his house.
Like Mrs Hare. he called NE in the next
day because ms hand feb stiff.
IN b0Jn eases I saw thar il was entire
" 100 late 10 cauJcGize the wounds. so
gave them ordinary treatment Both pa
tents were apPrehensivc Of rabies so
had the body CT the cat recovered and sent
to DR.. Y C. Keirie- Of the pas5eur Insti-
tule- He made a preliminary examination
and wrote me thar he found in the stom-
ach pieces Of sticks. acOTLs- leaves. small
stones. and other things which a normally
healthy cat would not swallow. He also
LlyEUI1ttI some laDaltS VAIN virus from
rhe cat. but It VIII be fifteen days before
he can tell whether the animal was mad
When / learned that the eat had the
abnormal appetite I advised The patients
10 take rhe- Pastcur treatment. hut as
that would cost 500 each they could not
afford the expense so I went to the
county commissioners and, after a great
deal Of talk, got them TO agree TO con
tribute SICg of the $500 for which Dr.
KeirIe agreed 10 take the cases. Both
families are quite poor and cannot pay
the remainder Of The bill"
Dr.. KeirIe said 1t was a bad sign
10 find foreign substances III the stomach
OF the cat. ana while that does not mean
that il had rabies. it shows that some
thing was wrong. especially when cou-
Piled with its habit Of biting | have
treated some rabbits. bus it viii be two
weeks before I can tell from them just
" hat was The matter with the animal
When I was asked TO look into the cas-.
and the circUms tauccs were explained I
told Dr- Smart hat the patients had bet
ter take the treatment at once. for il
they waited until we had seen what lie
came Of the 70 hhits and they should turn
out 10 have rabies, IL would make The
chances Of the human beings that much
worse Tor waiting On the other hand if
the cat was not mad, the people are none
the worse eff for having received The
trea tmeut."