Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

Caution with respect to the violent treatment of

CATS.

In the Memoirs of the Academy of Turin Vol. 6th. is found a very interesting communication of Mr. Rossi, entitled "Observations, dissections and experiment on the bite of enraged animals." One of the most important facts contained in it, is, that Cats may by ill treatment be rendered mad, and without having themselves bitten, may by their bite produce the most violent Hydrophobia. He relates the following instances. A young man was bit by a Cat in the leg; he suffered acute pain for some time; this ceased, and he became well. Every method of preventive for hydrophobia was used, cautery, caustick, alkalies, blisters, &c.--all in vain; the 49th day the symptoms appeared, and the patient died with his teeth fixed in a piece of iron. It is remarkable, that the Cat had only been rendered furious by being confined in a room and tormented. A Cowfeeder having remarked a Cat often coming to steal the milk in his dairy, lay in wait for it, and attacked it with a hatchet. There was a considerable contest, until at last, the Cat unable to avoid the approaching blow, leaped at the man and seized his chin, whence there was no possibility of detaching it, but by cutting off its head. The patient was carried to the hospital, and all the preventives of hydrophobia, as cautery, purging, bleeding and mercurial salivation, applied. On the 20th day the fatal symptoms made their appearance; he experienced much difficulty in swallowing water, but this he overcame with great fortitude; the difficulty increased, the wound became bad; the patient grew furious, endeavoured to bite every one that came near him, was bound in chains, and immediately broke them in pieces—leaped from his bed, ran up and down the hospital, attempting to bite all he met, till reaching the outer door in order to escape, he was seized with a shivering and fell down dead. On dissection the appearances in both these cases were precisely similar to those of Hydrophobia. The dreadful lesson taught by the cases here stated should be carefully kept in mind by all who are, from their tempers and habits of life, much exposed to the temptation or the necessity of using harsh methods with the most common of our domestick animals.

[Edinburgh Review, April, 1805.]