336 
A CASE OF HYDROPHOBIA, 
On my seeing him the second time, which was on the Friday, 
about two hours before he died, he unfortunately mistook me for 
the gentleman who had raised the blister upon his breast, and he 
instantly fell into the most violent passion, threatening me dread¬ 
fully, attempting to get out of bed for the purpose of attacking 
me, tossing himself about, gnashing his teeth, and at the same 
time, evidently suffering indescribable anguish. His counte¬ 
nance bore, at the moment of which I am speaking, such an 
impression of rage and despair, that he reminded me forcibly of 
the pictures of persons tormented in the infernal regions. Patients 
not merely apologise afterwards for their violence, but frequently 
request by-standers to get out of their way, or to restrain them 
lest any one should be injured. They will, in the true disease, 
generally make, too, the greatest possible efforts to overcome the 
difficulty of swallowing; and although they many times put the 
cup from their lips, their courage failing after they have promised 
to attempt to swallow, they will frequently at last, as in this case, 
by great effort, open the mouth, throw the head back, and gulp 
down considerable draughts of fluid in violent haste, even in the 
midst of their greatest difficulty of swallowing. The patient 
showed the common symptom of extreme suspicion: whenever 
the door was open he looked anxiously forward, and showed the 
greatest aversion to every new comer. There is sometimes even 
a little delusion in these cases: patients will fancy they see a 
mad animal in the room, or insects crawling about them 1 ; and 
a patient of Dr. Marcet’s complained of an intolerable stench. 
Before the Thursday on which the disease distinctly showed 
itself, it appeared that premonitory symptoms existed for three or 
four days. Usually, I believe, there are symptoms of weariness, 
general indisposition, dizziness, chills, and flushes, sometimes 
a pain has been felt in the bitten part. I think it very possible, 
from an occurrence which happened in my own practice, that 
these symptoms may go no further; that the disease, if I may 
so speak, may go off. Two little girls, stauding at their father’s 
door, were bitten by the same dog; a strange dog passing 
snapped at both of them, and bit them both in the face. She 
i -“He starts up, and eagerly gazes at some real or 
imaginary object; he traces the fancied path of something float¬ 
ing around him ; he fixes his eye intently on some spot of the 
wall or partition; he suddenly plunges at it; his eyes then close 
and his head droops : in an instant he starts and gazes wildly 
around. The voice of his master recalls him from this delirium ; 
he acknowledges him, and endeavours to fondle on him; but in a 
moment he is wanderingagain.”— Veterinarian, vol. i, p. 30. 
