Year: 1870

/ AObAAs


A Mad Man Lying at Deaths Door.


From the Springfield (o) Advertiser Q
| March 2S.l


We can lay before our readers a cast
| of hydrophobia now in our city, peculiar
because Of the manifestations of the


symptoms six years after the bite was


given. Solomon Haley resides with his


family at No. zoo. East Columbia street


few doors east of the skating rink. He


is man about fifty years of age, a car
penter by trade, and a hard-wOrking,
moral man IN character. Mr.. Haley re-
moved to this city from Gallipolis, Ohio,
a few years ago and has worked at his
trade ever since. In the year 1865 at
Gallipolis he was aroused one night by
the fighting of some dogs in the front
yard of his house. He arose to quiet the
disturbance, opened the door and with a
poker attempted to beat off a strange dog
that was fighting his own As he did SO
the strange dog made a Jump at his
throat, but was kept off by the outstretch-
ed arm of Mr.. Haley. A second attempt
was instantly made when the dog seized
him by the arm, inficting painful
though not severe bite. About eight or
nine days after this Mr.. Haley had a
slight spasm, from which he soon re-
covered, and until very recently has ex-
Perienced no other trouble. On last
Wednesday he was compelled to quit
work, feeling very sick. Becoming worse
in the latter part of the day he vas COM
PEELED to call in medical aid. DIR. Segar
was summoned, who found all the sym
tons of the terrible disease hydrophobia
rapidly developing in his patient. The
Doctor afterward advised DR.. S. E.
Adams, Medical Electrician. to call IN
and examine the patient. He did 50 on
Sunday evening last, and found Mr.. Ha-
ley racked with the fiercest spasms, ris-
ing in his bed, clutching at those who
stood near him, and beating the air.
These spasms were attended by that pecu-
ltar snarling cough, caused by the spas
modic action of the throat. His incess-
ant cry was for water, yet the moment
it was brought into the room the spasms
would break out with fury. At one time
he took a teaspoonful of water in his
hand, and by great effort succeeded in
getting it in his mouth, but no sooner
was it there than a convulsive throe
shook his frame, he jumped upon his
feet and threw the water from his mouth
against the ceiling. After he had par
tally recovered from the violence Of
this attack DR.. Adams asked him if he
had drank any of the water. He replied,
''Why, no it exploded in my mouth,
and blew the whole top of my head off
Upon repeated occasions the attempt
was made to give him water in answer to
his incessant appeals, but every attempt
was followed by a spasm. DR.. Adams
applied the battery, sending an electric
current along the spine and stomach of
the patient, acting according to the gen
eral rules in spasmodic cases. The re-
suit of the application of the exe6tricity
was very gratifying the spasms became
less violent, and at longer intervals, and
finally the patient slept. Monday even
ing, the Doctor called to see him again,
and found him quieter, but the symptoms
were still manifested in the barking
cough and increasing nervousness. Dur
ing some of his attacks, he would call on
those around him if they loved him, to.
kill him, smother him with the bed
clothes, or anyway to rid him of his
misery. DIR. Adams has no positive
hope of his recovery. He is doing all
that is within his power to save him, but
the experience of the past tells him it will
not avail.


On Tuesday Mr.. Haley was found to
be rapidly becoming weaker from the
growing frequence and violence of the
hydrophobic spasms. In the afternoon
he became so violent that it was found
dangerous to be in the room, and the
combined efforts of four men were re-
quired to keep the madman in his bed
when the spasms were upon him. DR..
A 4 1el -, s.f
ternoon and requested some police
force to aid in tying him fast. Several
persons went to the house and succeeded
in securing him. During one of his at
tacIs the hydrophobist scratched one Of
his person was IN the utmost alarm in re-
gard to his scratch. 1t was proposed,
that it would be proper and necessary, TO
give the patient chlOroform to such an
extent as to rid him entirely Of all his
misery in this world. This his family
would not allow and the patient hes, up
to our latest account, in dying agonies.
To take the life of human being IS sur
rounded with the gravest responsibilities.
The circumstances must be the most
alarming and only done when it is
necessary to preserve life or as a penalty
for crime. In the present case the fam
lily and every other person that duty or
necessity call near the patient are in
danger. To have the horrid disease
spread in this community, even to the
extent of single case seems terrible to
contemplate. It is mercy at times to take
life when death is inevitable and the
present instance seems to warrant it. It
is a question that the family and the au-
thorities must determine.


P. S.-Mr. Haley died at about 8
O'Clock this "wednesday morning. For
some hours before he expired he raved
terribly and had to be manacled and
tied to the bedpost.