The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1909-06-19
HYDROPHOBIA.

son is bitten by mad dog or 9th
cr animal. The wound gradual,
heals in the ordinary manner. AT
ter an uncertain interval usual,
ranging from six weeks to eighteeI
months, which is termed the pcriot
Of incubation, the following symp.
toms appear. The patient exper-
fences discomfort or pain at tn,
seat OF the bite. The cicatrix tim
=, giles, or feels stiff or numb; some
j. times becomes sWcllcd and livid
and occasionally reOpens, and dis
charges a peculiar ichor. The NOR
bid sensations gradually extend
/ from the original seat of injury
towards the trunk. This period is
termed the stage Of recrudesccnce
Within a few hours, at longest, a
very few days after the exhibition
of this local irritation, during which
time the patient has sence of
general discomfort and illness, the
specific constitutional symptoms
begin to manifest themselves; he
complains Of pain and stiffness a
bout the neck and throat, finds
himself unable to swallow fluids,
and this continues for two or
three days, till the patient dies
from pure exhaustion The pass
age of a gust of wind across the
face, or the waving of mirror be
for the eyes, is often sufficient TO
excite these parOXysms. The men
tai condition in the last stage OF
! this disease varies the patient NAV
be calm and tranquil; generally he
is irritable and apprehens,ve, and
suspicious; and in most eases, a
certain degree OF delirium, or even
mania, is associated with the ir-
ritability. Death most commonly
takes place on the second or third |
tlay after the commencement of the |
specific symptoms.
Some medical writer's have
maintained that hydrophobia may
occasionally be spontaneously de
velopcd in man, as is undoubtedly
the case occasionally i'm the lower
animals the dog and wolf, foe ex-
ample;) but even if this ever Oc-
ours, the instances are so extreme
ly rare as not to affect the general
statement, that in man the disease
is the result of an animal poison,
which is most commonly communi-
ctaed by the bite of a dog, but
which has also been produced by
the bite of wolf, the jackal, the
racoOn, and the cat. The poisonous
saliva is perfectly innocuous when 7
applied to the unbroken skin; to ,
produce its effects, there must be
some abrasion of the cuticIe; but
according to the late Mr.. Youatt,
It may enter the system by mere :
with mucous membranes.
The disease is said to have been a
by the mere scratch of
cat; but both cats and dogs fire. +,
luently apply their paws to their
the poisonous saliva may
DC introduced in this way by the "
laws. There has been much dis
.ussiOn as to what becomes OF the
Is it Immediately taken
nto the system generally, or does v
t remain imprisoned in the wound \
'r cicatrix for a time? In, the ~
after case, we might successfully C
emove the poison any time be "
ween the inflictiOn of the bite and h
he period of recrudescencc; and II
hat the poison is thus locally re- -
0srnd hoL O(
rom the fact, that at this period e,
1orbid phenomena of various kinds q,
xhibits themselves at the seat of ;:
he wound, and that these phenom- ~
ma are speedily followed by the pl
symptoms of the dis m
ase. ia
Little need be said of the treat -
rent of hydrophobia, for there is
o well-authenticated case of re-
overy on hand. The most dis an
'essing symptoms may, however, D,
e alleviated by chloroform, OPT d
tes, the hot-air bath, etc. But
Though the disease cannot be
lred, it's development may be
reverted by tn eearly and COM
|ete excision of the bitten part,
rovided the situation of the bite
lows of the free use of the knife.
T, says DR.. Walton, the injury be
, deep or extensive, or so situat- ,
that you cannot remove the
hole surface of the wound, cut mi
way what you can; then wash the ne
ound thoroughly and for some Az
ours together, by means of a 80
ream of warm water, which may reI
!, poured from a tea-kettle; place sh
| exhausted cupping-glass from LIST
ne to time over the exposed fir
Dund; and finally apply to every -.
lint Of it pencil of lunar caustic. ISIS
you cannot bring the solid caus- mig
; into contact with every part, at
II had Better make use of some t;o
uid escharOtic; strong nitric acid,
r example, Early excision is
e only sure preventive, but if, IA
r any reason, the operation has
en- omitted in the first INSTANCE,
is advisable for the reasons al 4
ady given regarding the proba- =
. latency of the poison, to cut pai
t the wound at any period be- puI
e symptoms of recrudescence yO,
pear. The reason why many TO-
elect to have immediate recourse
excisiOn probably is, that hy- par
)phObia by no means follows, as issl
matter of certainty, the bite of mo-
rabid animal. John Hunter A
ties that he knew an instance in
ich, of twenty-one persons Bit ueE
by mad dog, one alone was chic
ected. On the other hand, we tun
We evidence that of one hundred +ra.
| fourteen persons who were
ten by rabid wolves, sixty-seven, nav
more than One-half were victims to