The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-10
DR.. W. F. BECK TALKS
ON HYDROPHOBEA
Intelligent Presentation OF Subject
Before Blair County Grangers--
Necessity OF Prompt Treatment.


of what was regarded as hydrophobia
in this part of the state during the
last year, many people, especially
residents of the country districts, feel
more or less concerned in anything
that pertains to the subject. DR.. w.
Frank Beck of Altoona is regarded
as an authority on the subject and at
the meeting of the Pomona Grange,
held last Wednesday at Martinsburg,
he was engaged to address the grang-
ers on the matter.
While admitting that such a dis
ease as hydrophobia exists, the physi-
clans declare that the cases are ex-
tremely rare and that the majority
Of the so-cailed mad dog scares are
fakes.
The address follows:
Hydrophobia is a specific, infecti-
oIs disease, common to all forms of
animals, which may be communicat-
ed to man by direct incubation. 1t
is characterized by high fever, spasm
with paralysis, and always ends in
death.
Pasteur has found poison abun-
dantly present in all the nerve centers
and has transferred the disease by
taking bits of brain substance deriv-
ed from an infected animal and inoc-
ulating them into healthy subjects
The usual mode of infection in man
is through the bite of a rabid ami
NAL, the virus being contained prin-
cipally in the saliva, and in an i'm
mense majority of cases the dog is
the offending party. The cat, wolf,
COW and horse also suffer from this
dreadful disease, and in rare instan-
ces they communicate it to man.
History OF Disease.
The history of one bitten by mad
dog is this. The period in which you
are liable to become mad after re-
Ceiving the wound is from six weeks
to three months. The usual premoni-
tory symptoms are fever, headache,
loss of appetite, sleeplessness, great
depression of spirits and sometimes
darting pains, radiating from the
seat OF the bite, and the glands that
are near the wound become swollen.
The invasion is in two stages: First,
the stage of excitement the patient
wearing an expression of the most
intense anxiety, and the special SEN
ses exhibit the keenest vigilance,
such as draft of air or noise of any
kind may cause great disturbance of
violent spasm.
quite early the mere sight of wa
ter is dreaded by the patient. This
symptom is so prominent that it has
given the name to the disease, hydro
phob1a. The mere sight of water
causes a great syasm to the throat,
the patient having thirst that he can
not control. The muscles of the
mouth exhibit convulsive movements,
causing the patient to make sniffling
sounds, and foaming saliva may be
elected from the mouth. Second
stage is the paralytic stage, the patti
ent passing into actual unconscious
ness without syasm. This lasts eigh-
teen hours and always ends in death
How shall he know if one has hy-
drophobia? If the patient has fever,
shows great uneasiness after he has
been bitten by dog and at the sight
OF water goes into spasms, there are
great indications that he has hydro
phobia.
Few Cases Recover.
This is the most important, for
rev cases recover when once left to
develop. Upon reception of a case of
dog bite, through disinfection, fol-
lowed by cauteriZation of the wound
with caustic is measure that can be
quickly carried out AS soon as pos
slole after the bite, place the mouth
TO the wound and suck out the pois-
on rms is method employed in
the dissecting room by medical STU
dents, and is most effective, as it
eliminates the poison before it enters
the circulation.
This is precautionary measure of
the most Importance. Pasteur show
ed that the Virulence of virus which
ne obtained from the nervous system
Is Lnoulhed by passing it through
animals the same as by vaccination.
lie also found that, if fragments of
tne spinal cord were suspended in
dry atmosphere they lost gradually
their strength and finally became in
ert. From bit of the cord treated
IN THIS manner medicine is made in
the form of an emulsion. This is
used for incubation in man and con-
stitutes the Pasteur treatment that
we hear so much about. If you were
Dltten by dog that you thought was
mad and sent to one of the Pasteur
institutes, your treatment would be
something like this. The first day
you would be inoculated with a medi-
cine made from a cord fourteen days
old. You would be injected for nine
Gays, each day with a cord one day
/ fresher.
The success of the Pasteur meth
Cd is almost universally attested, and
the results have been marvellous. The
, patient should be sent to the insti-
, tute at once,' as delay tends to dimin-
lsh the protective power of the in
oculation. The Pasteur treatment is
, not used after the symptoms develop,
but it must be before. After that it
dehes all known methods of treat
ment.
Practical Side OF Subject.
= | have given you the scientific side
? OF hydrophobia in as condensed form
2 as possible. The practical side has a
, dlHerent story to tell and will inter-
t est you more. / would not dare say
] that there was no such a disease as
, hydrophobia. But on the other hand
t If you are bitten by a dog you do
3 not need to be much alarmed. In
many years of practice / have never
t seen case either in man or dog
hn nh H..