New-York tribune., 1908-08-03
BITTEN MARINES HERE
Rushed to Washington for Treat
ment for Hydrophobia.

From, their beaIthful appearance and the general
cheerfulness that prevailed among the ten marines
who arrived here yesterday from Colon on the
Panama liner Finance one would have thought
that they had been bitten by the maddest kind Of
a mad dog eleven days ago In their camp on the
isthmus. They all knew when they sailed nor'h
from Cristobal that the little dog which had bitten
them was suffering from hydrophobia. the TACT
! ina wing been revealed by meteorological examina-
tions following the autopsy the body of the ami
NAL
The trip from the isthmus is seven days on the
Finance and the minds of the were diverted
from the thoughts Of infection with hydrophobia as
much as possible during that time The recent
publicity given many agonizing deaths from
cases of hydrophoha naturally gave the men
something 10 ponder over. but, as one OF the ma
rines expressed it: We all did our best to for
get it
Major John II Russell. of the marine corps. com
manding a battalion of marines at Camp Elliott.
near Ancon. Isthman Canal Zone, was also bitten
by the infected dog but he gave the matter of his
possible incubation with rabies little or no con-
cern. lie is exceedingly cheerful. and. like the
marines believes that he will not develop hydro
phobia
Major Russell was accompanied by his wife and
daughter and on arriving at Pier 81 prepared
go the navy yard at Brooklyn with his men,
when he met William p. Thomas. quartermaster
sergeant who had the following order from Wash
ingtdn; You will meet party on arrival and have
them conducted at once TO the Naval Medlcai
School Hospital, at Washington
On receipt of the order Major Russell and the
ten marines took the first available train for
Washington 1t was said the pier that every
facility in the treatment to prevent rabies mas
been prepared for Major Russell and his men az
the Naval Medical School Hospital
When the reporters went aboard the Finance
yesterday the marines talked cheerfully of their
trip up from the isthmus. but when the subject
, of hydrophobia suggested they seemed dtsn-
clined to talk. 1t was said they had been advised
to make no references to the subject as a matter
of precaution against worry.
Several marines who were not averse to telling
how they happened to be bitten said that on July
10 young collie wandered into the camp and
made friends with the He was playful and
became a pet once. On July q he became surly
and snapped some of the men who fondled him.
Five bitten. but 1t did not occur TO
them that the dog might be mad The next day
the dog rushed into the camp and bit six moro
men. including Major Russell.
The animals actions caused of the doctors
the camp to believe that the dog suffering
from rabies, and it killed. AS soon the
brain and spinal cord of the collie disclosed the
germ of rabies the wounds OF the bitten were
cauterized and they sent north the
Finance The marines brought here in charge of
Sergeant C. 4. Pennngham, were A. B. Hobbal
w H. Hawkins, r. D. Bagley, W. II. Macfarland
L. Clark. G. B. Baxter, Thomas Wople, w e
Cooper, Oscar Anderson and L. Moore. They are
under the medical of DR.. L. F. Farwen OF
the United States Navy.