Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1911 — FARMER VICTIM OF A MAD DOG [ARTICLE]

FARMER VICTIM OF A MAD DOG

Wm. A. Crisler Died Yesterday Morning of Hydrophobia WAS BITTEN BY YOUNG DOG Eight Weeks Ago But Disease First Manifested Itself Sunday Morning Victim Taken to Pasteur Institute But Case Too Far Advanced for Any Relief.

William A. Crisler, formerly ot near Mt. Ayr, who bought and moved onto the Geo. O. Pumphrey farm just northeast of town a little more than a year ago, died shortly before 4 a. m., vesterday from hydrophobia. Mr. Crisler was bitten on the hand some two months ago by a stray pup which he found in his chicken house. The cur snapped and snarled at him when he took a club and drove it out, and he was bitten slightly on the hand by the dog. The wound healed over and nothing more was thought of it until Saturday nfght when he was taken sick, and Sunday morning he was seized with convulsions. Dr. Loy was called at 8 a. m., and pronounced the symptoms hydrophobia. He callDr. Washbum, however, in, consultation and his diagnosis of the trouble was confirmed. It was then decided to hurry the patient to the Pasteur Institute at Chicago for treatment, and he; was taken there Sunday afternoon. There his case was pronounced incurable, the disease had progressed too far. <• After the doctors had examined the patient and held a consultation with the local doctor, Mr. Crisler demanded that they inform him of the true facts, and he was told that he had not more than three days to live. He was a man or more than ordinary intelligence ahd knew' the suffering he would have to endure, and argued with the doctors to give him something that would end it all, even begged them to do so —and in such cases it would seem almost, that they would be justified in doing so—but all that could be done was to partially dull or relieve the severity of his convulsions. He was brought home on train No. 3 that night and taken out to his farm in W. J. Wright’s ambulance. The progress of the disease had been rapid and he had two convulsions on the train coming home. He was fully conscious between the convulsions and talked freely of his trouble. A paroxysm of the larnyx and constant jerking and throbbing of the throat was the first sign of the disease he 'had noticed. This was Saturday night, and Sunday morning a doctor was called at once. The sight of water, food, a flash of light gust of air, produced convulsions. Even to think of these things brought them on. The doctors state that the general opinion that a person afflicted with hydrophobia will attack and bite his attendant’s is incorrect, and that there is no danger from such source. During their convulsions they must be restrained but they do not snap and bite at any one, nor bark like a dog, etc. The patient was kept in a dark room and opiates administered to relieve the severity of the convulsions, w’hich became more frequent and severe as time passed. Harry Wiltshire w'as engaged to nurse him and his sufferings were frightful as •hours passed. The fact that a person is fully conscious most of the time—and' he was so except the” last few hours —and that he has but a few hours to live, makes fit all the more pathetic. The lend came shortly before four o’clock yesterday morning, and death was a happy release. Mr. Crisler was 62 years of age and leaves one son. He was a

very fine man and was highly respected by all who knew him. The dog which bit Mr. Crisler was a light yellow shepherd dog about half grown, and was a stray cur that passed down through Barkley tp., eight weeks ago. The same dog, it is thought, was shot by ?»larshal Mustard in the northeast part of town the Sunday morning following its biting Mr. Crisler. The marshal was called by County Surveyor Osborne, in the vicinity of whose i.ome it had appeared, and he went out and killed the beast. How many other dogs or animals it had bitten nobody knows. It is usually six to eight weeks after one is bitten that the disease makes its appearance, although sometimes it is much longer, even a year or two years. If treated within a few weeks a person can feel perfecti- safe by the Pasteur treatment, w rich is a preventative, and not a cure after the disease has made its appearance. This should be remembered and no chances taken in the matter. County Health Officer Loy has ordered a strict enforcement of the dog quarantine throughout the county —see notice elsewher —and a penalty is attached for failure to comply with the order.