Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-09-08
HYDRO?HOB|A.
LAST SYMPTOM OF DISEASE
CAUSED BY RABIES IN
FLICTED ANIMALS
Described and the Remedy sug-
Rested-Recent Cases I'm This City
Recalled by the Recent Accident
to DR.. L.. N. Reefer-The symptoms
in Animal and Man.

Inc recent injury lnfiActed upon
Doctor l.. N. Refer by a small dog-an
Italian greyhound. belonging to julie
Wilson, supposed to be mad, and
under observation by the doctor,
recalls a number of similar cases in
this city and vicinity, ONE Of them
attended with serious results, and in
n Of which death resulted from an
Insignificant wound. Several years ago
Mr.. Henry Wolf, of Caldwells run,
father Of Assistant City Clerk Wolf,
was bitten by a dog, and there were
grave fears for a time as to the result,
but he happily made a recovery. Let
ter Carrier James Manton was attacked
by a dog while fishing on Fish creek,
: July 10, 1897, the animal being owned
by a man named Petit. He also re-
covered after serious consequences were
feared by his friends. About the same
time, in the city, a Pole named
Zitvesky. was bitten, but no serious re-
suits followed, and in the same sum-
mel a man named Smith, of North
Wheeling. a hauler, was bitten by a
suspicious dog, but the wound healed
without trouble.
The latter part of January. 1897, wit
messed a mad dog scare in Wheeling
that was attended by very unfortunate
results, Il death being occasioned as
the sequence of an attack by a dis
eased animal, while a number of people
were seriously injured and others
badly frightened. About half-past
seven in the evening of January 9th
a dog weighing about 10 pounds, own
ed by George Guthart, of the South
Sidee, attacked Margaret Schell, aged
IL years, at the Second ward market
house. She was knocked down and Bit
ten in the arm. che dog was driven
away by Police Officer Gardner. A
careful search was made for the animal
by the police, but it was lot located
until about two O'Clock the following
morning, when Victor Bouer, the driver
of the mail wagon for Burns & Church,
was attacked at Main street and alley
18. He was knocked down by the dog,
which jumjed upon him, and was bitten
badly in the neck, face and arms. He
went to DR.. Taylor's Office, where his
wounds were dressed. An alarm was
Immediately sent to the police, and
the night force were on the aiert.
hlGultIdillS SUPPER anu MItlldtlS anu
Officer Wolff found the dog in the Fifth
ward, and each fired several shots, but
the brute escaped. The search was kept
up until morning, when Lieutenant
Will Clemans, armed with a rifle,
Joined in the chase. About half-past
seven the dog was found by Officer
Charles Zimmerman, who had a lively
combat with 1T, killing the animal after
firing three shots into It, but not until
he had been badly bitten on the arm
and hand. In the meantime Richard
Kenney, of North Wheeling, had been
bitten on the nose; William Higgins,
aged II, on the face; John Speidel re-
ceiyed slight injuries, and Harry
Freeze was bitten on the left arm. Sew
eral of these were sent to the Pasteur
hospital at New York. Will Higgins
died, but the others recovered. The
matter made an immense sensation at
the time, particularly as a number of
other dogs had been bitten by the
afflicted animal, and it could not be
ascertained how serious the danger
was.
Hydrophobia is a symptom Of the
disease rabies, occurring in man and
many animals. Many well informed
minds contend that no such malady
ever existed, and rewards have been
offered for a perfectly authenticated
case of death from dog or other ami
mails where rabies poison was alleged to
be the cause, but the ~preponderence of
evidence is that it is not only a dis
ease, but that II may be communicated
to other animals or to man either by
a bite. or by an infected animal bring
ing its saliva into contact with an open
sore. When ar afflicted animal bites
another. or man. no immediate results
follow as a rule. The wound. often
very slight, heals as other wounds, and
there is no trouble. This is the period
Of incubation. The first symptom of
the working of the poison in a mar is
a change in character, melancholy and
d|istrust, becoming noticeable in a less
OF greater degree. The next symptom
is called aerCphobia, the slightest
breath of air touching the skin causing
the muscles to contract. Following is
the stage of h~ydrophobia, in which
spasms of the pharynx follows efforts
to swallow water, or even the sight OF
liquids. This symptom is the fore
rune OF death which usually occurs
in two or three days. a characteristic
being paralytic symptoms. usually in
the lower eXtremities, and alternate fits
of mental calm and fury.
So much for the characteristic symp-
toms of the disease. Its cause has been
defined by a high authority as follows:
Rabies is a virulent disease, trans
missfble from one animal to another
by the innoculation into the latter Of
those various secretions and tissues of
the infected animal in which the virus
dwells. This virus consists of a living
organism which has not yet been made
visible, by reason of the insuficiency
of microscopic apparatus, but its exist
ence cannot nevertheless be denied"
Spontaneous origin in dogs or other
animals is denied; there must be an
actual communication Of the virus,
found in the nervous system and saliva,
but not in the blood.
The Pasteur cure is to be absolutely
relied upon in a majority of cases-a
large majority-but it must be remem-
bered that quick action is always de-
sirable, and the closer the wound to
the nerve centres the greater the neces-
sity for scientific attention. For in
sanee, a wound upon the head, face,
neck or breast demands more prompt
attention than n upon the hand or
lower leg. The first treatment should