HYDROPHOBIA.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1797, 6 October 1874, Page 3

HYDROPHOBIA.

There is just now in 2STew Yorkan unusual excitement c&ncernirig hydrophobia. Francis Butler, an Englishman, and a well known dog trainer and fancier, was bitten in the hand about six or seven, weeks ago by a smail dog, and died from the effects last Wednesday. The wound had healed, and Mr Butler had almost forgotten about it until two days before; his death, when in his efforts to swallow a cup of tea at his breakfast table he was seized with a violent paroxysm and convulsive tremore, and to his surprise discovered that his muscles would not convey the drink to his" mouth. In some alarm he turned to his wife and said, "Why, how strange* that is ? I can?t get that tea to my lips. What can it mean P" She thought of the bite of the dog imme-; diately, and like a flash it came to her that her husband had hydrophobia, but she endeavoured at the time to conceal her fears from him, and told him he was nervous and needed rest. " I'll try another cupj then," he answered ; but in attempt-; ing to: drink, he was again convulsed. He then tried to eat an egg and some bread, but could not do so, and a few hours afterwards he recognised symptoms of hydro-; phobia, and realj^d his condition. He then begged his friends to keep away from ; h^m, and ran ; up and down /stairs with a stick in his hands endeavouring i to. strike and bite every person who ap-i rproached him. Hejtore tha clothing from his body, and clutching at his breast, shrieked, " There ai-e mad dogs here."' Drs. Loretz and Creamer were called; in, and were obliged to tie him down, and; finally succeeded in injecting morphineinto his arm. This relieyed.his paroxysms.; He lost the power of speech, then barked ■' like a dog, while streams of foam poured; from his • mouth until .he, died. Some • years ago he went into the business of training, buying, and selling dogs, and his ability in controlling- and taming them was deemed by many really marvellous. Many a time ho has led away without injury a quarrelsome and ferocious dog; cwhicK > attacked 'every other person^, wlio approached it. He wrote a popular book entitled " Dog Training." He had no fear of:hydrophobia, and,often expressed the opinion that it was simply a nervous. affection, and the bite of a dog would not produce the disease unless fear supervened and occasioned it.