Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 July 1874 — Death by Hydrophobia. [ARTICLE]

Death by Hydrophobia.

Three weeks age the Argus published an account of the manner'in which Mrs. Ragan, of this city, was bitten by what was supposed to be a rabid dog. The Jady was bitten on the Ist day of July, and was severely wounded both, on the = face and arm. Drs, Stevensbirahd Meeker were called, and, fearing the dog was rabid, they took especial caution to attend carefully to dressing the wounds; they were scarified, cupped and cauterized.— The patient was carefully attended by Dr. Stevenson, and the wounds healed in a perfeciy natural manner. In about one week the patient was as well as ever, and reported that she was feeling unusually -well.— She had come to the conclusion that the dog was not rabid and apparently had no fears of hydrophobia; this state of affairs continued uninteruptedly up to last Sunday, the 19th instant, when she experienced a loss of appetite, and bean to show a slight nervous excitement. These symptoms were followed by a light diarrham and the nervousness increased in a noticeable manner. She would suddenly start when comparatively quiet, and was troubled with frightful dreams wheu Steepiiig^J l —" At about 8 o’clock Sunday evening she had a slight paroxysm. The members of the family were up with her all night and chuing the paroxysms, which occured once in fifteen or twenty minutes, she would beg to be held to prevent her injuring herself or her atteiidents.— Early Monday morning Dr. Stevenson was called and found the patient with feeble circulation and general prostration.” She complained of considerable pain in the back ofthe neck and sufferedgrently fronrxcontraction of the larynx and almost total inability to swallow anything. She was perfectly, rational all the time but was very sensitive to. a current of air, the direct rays of light or the sight of water; either of which would at once throw her into a spasm. Such remedies as are suggested by good judgement and the best authors were administered but the effects was not noticeable. Chloroform was given and seemed to aggravate the case. The patient suffered the most indescribable mental terror and nervous excitement. Beside the attending physician _Drs; Meeker, Iligday, Andrew, Fahnestock, Eliel and Bowers called to see the unfortunate woman, and, we believe, without exception pronounced it a well developed and unmistakable case ot ■ hydrophobia. Injections of morphine had no effect and it speedily became Impossible for her to swallow _any thing, owing to the

contraction of the muscles of the throat. Nothing could be given to relievo her/ for a moment, 4nd she suffered toward the last with almost constant paroxysms which grew more and more violent until one o’clock Tuesday afternoon, whan she died. Her death was * one of the most horrible imaginable, and was p/obably as perfectly a developed case of hydrophobia as was ever known. —Laporte Argus.