The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-16
FEAR N BYDROPH0BIA
IMAGINATION OFTEN CAUSES FATAL
RESULTS FROM DOG BITES.


superstitlous Ages = Rabies disease
Which Is Extremely Rnre-Pitlful Case
OF John Il. Beart. Of Ckicaso.
The death Of John r. Beard. at 5127
Wabash avenue. illustrates point
that has been dwelt upon for years By
PHYSICIANS and surgeons, says the Chi
cago InterOcean Mr.. Beart in Au-
gust last had a struggle with a bun-
dog, and was bitten IN three placfs S.
The struggle IN itself was Of a charae.
ter TO produce nervous exhaustion, To
say pothlng Of the multilation By the
dog. Upon examination it was shown
that the dog was not affected With
rabies Mr.. Beart recovered from the
immediate effects Of the struggle and
returned to work. But a week ago he
was taken i'll, and grew steadily worse
70 the end. Those in attendance be-
lieve that he died Of fear Of hydro.
phobia
There is no dispute as 10 the maiu
facts IN the case. The dog that at.
tackled Mr.. Beart did not have any dis
ease. Mr. Beart had no symptoms Of
hydrophobia. but be lived for months
IN horror OF the most dreaded Of dis
eases. and this resulted in conditions
that caused death.
If the dog that made the attack on
Mr. Beart had been killed, as is usual
in such cases. the case would undoubt-
ediy have been eatalogued in the hy-
drophobia list AS the case stands. 1t
gives strength to the theory that
great many Of the so-called cases Of
rabies are produced solely by fear.
Without discussing any Of the theo-
ries as 10 rabies advanced in recent
years, It may be safely asserted that
the disease itself is extremely rare. In
forty years IN Paris there were report
ed only ninety-four cases Of hydro.
phobia In the whole of France. with
a population Of 36,OOO,OOO there were
reported In six years 107 cases. IN
vestigation showed that not more than
i've per cent Of persons bitten by
rabid dogs became hydrophobic. In
the city Of New York there were rc
ported In six years twenty-five cases
of hydrophobia. The number of deaths
is not reported
Those who have made close invefti- |
CATION have arrived at the conclusion
that whore any heavy clothing covers
the part bitten, there is little danger,
even from the most raDid dog. But
the belief that the bite Of a hydro
phobic dog is necessarily fatal and
.hat death comes in a horrible way Is
50 common that a man bitten by any
dog gives his imagination free rein and
suffers such mental torture as to make
him prey to other forms Of disease
Dogs are subject to so many diseases
regarding which the majority Of peo-
pie have absolutely no information
that even the most harmless animals
are regarded with suspicion. Even a
dog that has lost its master on the
street often becomes so excited that
pedestrians call on policemen to shoot
IT,
Certain dlseaeas commou to the dog
family are manifested in commissions
or fits. and by the ignorant a dog 50
afflicted is pronounced mad and treat
ed accordingly. A dog trained to high
spirit and pugnacity sometimes turns
from a conflict with another dog TO
bite the man who lnterferes That dog
Is forthwith pronounced mad and the
wound Is cauterized. whereas if the
bite were by a cat or horse no at
ientiop would be paid to it and no
alarm would be felt
The dog IS more closely associated
with men. women and children than
any other animal 1t is trained 70
watchfulness 70 resistance. TO attack
and defense. and at the same time #
Is expected 10 observe many Of the
Of life disregarded by men
and women. If a dog mopes with a
distemper, or exhibits any symptom Of
any common disease. It is treated as q
mad dog. and often in n way to push
the poor brute to the extremity Of fury.
Thousands Of people In the country
districts are bitten by dogs every year,
and no thought IS given TO the mat
ter Those engaged IN training dogs
are bitten frequently. and they think
no more OF the slight hurts than the
hostler who IS nipped by a horse
thinks Of his bruises or wounds. In
the city a bite by any dog becomes
the subject Of such anxiety as to IN
duce absolute fear.
The truth Is that the bite Of a dog
is no more harmful than the bite or
scratch Of g cat or the lite Of a horse,
but the people Of this day have IN
herited from superstitious ages such
horror Of the word hydrophobia that
The dog which Is at once the pet Of
children and the terror of burglars Id
its health usually finds no commisera-
lion or even human consideration IN
its illness.