Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-07-07
HYpRopHOBIA.
Many misconceptions About the
Dreaded Disease.


is. Notwithstanding its comparative rarity,
the most dreaded of all diseases In tae
human being it is a malady, with usually
a long period OF incu bation. that disorders
the intellectual, emotional and othe. ner-
yous functions, causing spasms OF the
muscles OF the eyebalis and throat; there
is also more or less fever and a thirst for
water The patient has at first no fear OF
| water, and eagerly attempts to drink 1t,
but this he cannot do, as the effort OF the
paraIyzed muscles to swallow Immediately
brings on commissions, and then the mere
| sight of il is sufficient to cause their re-
currence. Whence the name, hydropho-
| bio. which means, as most persons knows,
| fear OF water.
+. In the newspaper accounts, the victims
of this dread disease are sometimes de-
scribed as fosming at the mouth. barking,
| and trying to bite any one near them.
They do none OF these things. II would
be as sensible to say that a man who had
contracted hydrophobia from bite OF |
| COW or cat mooed or miaued. The disease |
! runs its fatal course in about week, /
death ensuing usually from exhaustion. |
There ia no known remedy for rabies, but |
opiates are administered freely to alleviate
the frightfuI suffering and to lessen the (,
paroxysms.
Although the germ OF rabies has not
been demonstrated, authorities agree that
it has specific germ. Rabies never occur
II the human subjec, spontaneously; 1t Is
invariably inocuisted. Whether it eT2r
develops in the dog or in other animals
without incubation, is question concern
ing " aich there is some difference OF opin-
ion. DR.. Pepper, in his chapter on rabies in
his. system OF Medicine" maintains that
the disease never occurs spontaneously in
any animal Whatsoever. In proof OF his
assertion, he instances the fact that the
disease is unknown in the islands OF Eiba,
the Hebrides and Malta, each OF which 10
noted for its indigenous race OF dogs;
while in South Africa and Australia the
outcast dogs that slowly die OF hunger and
thirst are also immune to the disorder.
Moreover, Dr., Pepper tells Us that cruel
experimenters have deprived dogs OF water
and OF food, and have exposed them for
4 days to the direct rays Of tropical sun,
without producing s'bsls case OF rabies.
. A fact supporting DR.. peppet's eonten-
: ton Is that in cities and towns where
!. n bies have been prevalent, strict enforce
7 ment Of a muzzling iaw has completely
stamped out the disease. Again Is his
J opinion justified by another fact: Many
more male than female dogs 60 mad. The
I ratio as given by DR.. Pepper, is as high as
seven to one.
. The explanation OF this is, on DR.. Pep
per's theory, simple: Male dogs are
9 bitten by other dogs much more often
: than are females. A male dog fights with
: male, but rarely with . female; and, like
other animals, dogs nsht frequently
y among themselves TO possess the females.
; SO, bites are inflicted and rabies-propa-
gated. il present, among the males. Even
e a mad dog will hesitate to bite female OF
his kind. Anyway, however hydrophobia
l. originates, it is. contrary to the common
q belief. more prevalent in temperate than
in torrid or Arctic regions, and there are
more cases in the spring and fall than in
I he summer or winter.
J Now, il it be true that rabies does no,
occur, even in the dog, except through
incubation, what becomes OF the popular
7 notion that hot weather, deprivation oil
water, insufficient food and exercise, etc.
make dogs go mad? Certainly the con-
9 viction OF the impossibility OF spontane-
J. Gus rabies ought to be comforting to the
y many owners of pet dog that are nevei
g allowed to run at large. II is reassurins
e to know that dog which has never beer
. bitten will aever become dangerous.
l. Every one should know, though every
one does not. that there is no more dan
e ger from the bite Of q healthy dog thar
2 from any other wound, and il the dos
. lives for ten days after he has bitter
, any one, that person may be perfectly
& SURE that he will never have hydropho'
a. bis. There is q vulgar superstition tina
u IL dog that has inflicted bite should
go mad at some future time, the person
bitten will go mad. too. OF course
there is nothing in it.
r When one has been bitten by sus
D. pected dog he should Immediately apply
r tourniauet above the wound. hand
'e kerchief or necktie will do il twisted yer
ne tight by means OF a stick. The poiso
e. should then be sucked out, and the bit
)y cauterized as soon as possible. IL 1t Is be
Id ieved that the dog was mad, the Pastes
We treatment should be resorted to- DIR. v
to L. Wheeler, of the Pasteur institute, state
az that only two-tenths OF one per cent;
those treated at the Institute oeVeiop a,
Of dronhobia. the few failures being d.
ID. either to delay or to the great extent
he the wounds.
nc There is a pseudo hydrophobia Qyss
LUZ phobia) brought on by nervous dread IN
has cften seel written shouI. Sa'
tact tn,t no such false disease vsn oc ur
very young chi idrvn or IN animals ID
nave supposedly died OF RABIES, seece'
yp- fnlly re.ates the argument of some II
il every case of hydrophobia IS imaginary
No, as TO the liability to true rabies
ora >, sons in general. There are in ,
ey- York alone probably more than mill