SPONTANEOUS HYDROPHOBIA. 1029 



related the case of Mrs. Sara Johnson, who had 

 been struck on the nose by a little dog, but 

 without causing the slightest abrasion of the 

 skin; and who, about two weeks afterwards, (on 

 the 20th of November,) got wet, when she was 

 attacked with shivering, languor, depression of 

 spirits, thirst, furred tongue, pain in the head, 

 back, and limbs, difficulty of breathing, and 

 agitation of manner. On the 23rd, the slightest 

 motion of the air around her, or the sight, and 

 even mention of fluids, induced hydrophobic 

 spasms, and she died on the 24th, after express- 

 ing a belief from the first that she would not 

 recover. Mr. Denby gave it as his opinion that 

 the case was owing to fright and the influence of 

 cold. (Lancet, 1839. Trans, of the Lond. Med. 

 Society.) 



A still more decided case of what is termed 

 spontaneous hydrophobia occurred in my own 

 practice, in the year 1827. A middle aged lady 

 of phlegmatic constitution, took a long walk one 

 afternoon in the month of August, after which 

 she sat down before an open window, exposed 

 to a cool breeze, until she felt rather chilly. 

 Soon after retiring to bed, a sensation of stiffness 

 about the jaws came on. On visiting her the 

 next day, I found there was an impossibility of 

 swallowing, and the utmost horror on the ap- 

 proach of liquids to her lips, owing to a spas- 

 modic state of the muscles about the throat; 

 which is the real cause of the dread of fluids; 



