NEWs


of the

           Past


Rabies in the Early 1900's
as reported in local newspapers
   
    The town authorities ordered all dogs muzzled, tied up or killed.  So if you value your dog comply with the above or the marshal will be compelled to do his duty.  This was decided upon after many request of our citizens for safety of man and beasts as there is quite a mad dog scare near Xenia and much stock has been bitten and died--Southern Illinois Record--March 12, 1914
     
 Joseph Henson lost a fine mare last week from hydrophobia, she went mad and was shot.  The next day a fine two year old heifer of Carl burroughs went mad and was shot.
    Lots of dogs being killed, a mad dog was chased Friday, hard and long, near Artie Bandy’s.  Artie shot the dog with a shot gun once but was too far away to kill it.  This mad dog scare is a reality and a dangerous and costly proposition.
Brush Creek section of Southern Illinois Record—April 9, 1914

The Clay County Advocate reports mad dogs at Ingraham.  John Ubinger a prominent farmer of Pixley township had a valuable horse die that had been bitten by a dog with rabies—Southern Illinois Record  March 29, 1917


Dreaded Hydrophobia Scare

South Ward School Children Exposed
and Extra Precaustions Taken
To Prevent Disease

    Two or three weeks ago a dog belonging to the Herbert Smith family followed Master Cornelius Burton to school in the south ward.  At that time the school grounds were filled with children, at play, and a number of them were bitten, more or less severely by the dog.  Little attention, though was given to the dog’s actions until it was later learned that a strange dog some three weeks previous had attacked  the Smith dog, lacerating its head and neck in an ugly manner.  When this fact became known among the parents of the children who had reported being bitten or snapped at by the Smith dog the parents became alarmed, and at once the doctors of our city were anxiously consulted, some of them being called to the neighborhood.
    It was then decided to kill the dog and Wm. Bradley, one of the fathers directly concerned, severed the head and expressed it to the Chicago Pasteur Institute for examination.  Mr. Bradley received a report from the Institute on Monday of this week stating that the dog from which the head in their possession had been separated had been affected with rabies, or canine madness.
    The children, accordingly, knkown or believed to have been bitten or exposed two weeks ago are this week undergoing a thorough course of treatment by our local physicians.  So far as the Record has been able to learn at this time the following children were bitten, and are now being treated:
    Earnest Burgess, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Smith;
    David Bradley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Bradley;
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Workman;
    Daughter of Mrs. Ella Perrine;
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lagle;
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Travis;
    Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Perry;
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Guinn;
    Son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wilfongl
    It is also reported that the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dudley was bitten.
    These children range in age from six to eight years, and have been attending the South Ward school
    So far no indications of hydrophobia have made its appearance among any of the children, but as this dreadful disease often fails to develop for weeks, month, and sometimes years after the patient has been bitten or inoculated with the saliva of a rabid creature, the parents and their attending physicians are taking no chances, and every effort known to medical science will be made to prevent its development.  Southern Illinois Record   November 18, 1917

 Lawrence Farris, of Jasper, was bitten by his family dog a couple of weeks ago, the dog later being killed after giving  evidence of having rabies.  Mr. Farris has been taking Pasteur treatment as a measure of safety.—Southern Illinois Record  December 6, 1917    
  

Clell McGrew had the misfortune of losing a valuable horse last week.  Death was supposed to be caused from hydrophobia.  This makes the fourth head of stock he has lost in the last three weeks with the same disease.  Kenner section of Flora Journal Record—June 1, 1922

    Fred Fatheree was called to Will Rogers’ place Thursday of last week to kill a fine mare that had hydrophobia.  She almost tore the barn down and eat about all the meat off her front legs before she was killed.
    It was reported Saturday that a mad dog had bitten three persons in Xenia before it was killed.   
Brush Creek section of Flora Journal Record April 2, 1925
  
 The mad dog scare mentioned in last week’s paper proved to be real.  The head of the dog, when put to chemical tests at the state laboratory at Springfield, proved to contain the rabies germs.  The three children bitten are now taking the serum treatment and will no doubt be saved from the deadly rabies.  
Xenia section of  Flora Journal Record-- April 9, 1925
 
  Mrs. Sallie Ezell lost a good milch (milk?) cow at the week-end, following a strange sickness of three or four days, during which time the animal viciously fought every one who dared to approach her.  Dr. A.L. Etchison, veterinary surgeon of this city, said the animal showed symptoms of hydrophobia, and recommended shooting her.   Mr. Ezell demurred, and called Dr. Frank Hockman of Iola to examine and treat the animal.  Dr. Hockman saw the animal on Friday and gave it as his opinion she was not “mad” and proceeded to treat her for a still birth.  The beast died Saturday afternoon.  Two weeks ago a strange dog was found running amuck in the streets of Louisville, and it was observed that the dog snapped at all other dogs that came in its way.  Marshal Landreth tried to shoot the dog, but it escaped.  It is believed by the marshal that the dog fled by way of the pasture fields south of Mrs. Ezrell’s residence and that as it ran it might have bitten the Ezrell cow.  Two days later in southeast Hoosier Tp., Barney Meadows was bitten by an unknown dog, and the next morning Meadows’ neighbor killed the dog.  The dog was identified by Marshal Landreth as the animal he had chased out of town.  Dr. Dillman gave Meadows the Pasteur treatment, and sent the head of the dog to Chicago for examination.  The report on the examination was that the dog had been afflicted with rabies, or canine madness, and a subsequent result of the report was a dozen dog funerals at the capital.  The town is freer of worthless curs just now than it has been in ten years.  Flora Journal Record--June 11, 1925  (Note:  Name is spelled both Ezrell and Ezell in the article)

    Archie and Brownlow Green were in town last Friday attending the “rally” and meeting up with friends.  Archie said he was still in the race for sheriff, but hadn’t quite reached the announcement point.  He reported his brother, Syllis, near Iola, having had a little hydrophobia experience a few days ago.  An angry dog creased his wrist and forearm but the wound drew no blood and Syllis thought nothing of it till some of his stock died in paroxysms of agony, and he noticed that the dog had disappeared from the neighborhood.  Then he consulted a physician, and was given the Pasteur treatment.  Syllis Green is the oldest one of the four or five Green brothers.—Louisville section of Flora Journal Record November 12, 1925


  Servian Village Tragedy
    Superstition and tragedy ran hand in hand in a village near Belgrade, Servia.  A dog went mad and was killed by a peasant.  He threw the body in a ditch outside the village.  Another peasant next day passing the ditch saw the body and thought it was a wolf.  He took it home for its skin, but seeing the fat he rubbed himself with it, hoping, according to the superstition, to be as strong as the wolf.  Other peasants, hearing about it, came to buy the wolf fat and the man did good business.  Suddenly it was discovered that the fat came from a mad dog.  The whole village will have to go to a Pasteur Institute for treatment.  This story appeared in the Flora Journal Record April 1, 1926
 
      It is reported that a child of west of Louisville was badly bitten and torn by a dog Sunday evening.  The head of the dog was sent away to be examined for hydrophobia.—Louisville section of Flora Journal Record  May 13, 1926

 A cow owned by Chas. Montgomery which had been bitten by a rabid dog some time ago, developed a full case of hydrophobia last week and it was necessary that she be killed.  Other cattle in the same pasture show no signs of the disease.  Louisville section of Flora Journal Record---July 1, 1926


    Xenia Citizen Died From Rabies
    About two weeks ago Ralph M. Smith of Xenia, was bitten by his own dog.  He killed the dog, but did not take serum treatment for the bite.  Last Thursday night he was taken violently ill and Friday morning a physician pronounced it hydrophobia.  He was rushed to the Olney sanitarium for treatment, where he continued to grow worse and death occurred Sunday morning.  He was 54 years old.
    The remains were taken to Xenia and funeral held Monday afternoon, with interment in Colclasure cemetery.  Flora Journal Record—July 29, 1926


 There is another mad dog at large.  The house dog of Harry Hardy bit his child, and also Harry.  He consulted a physician, who said kill the dog, send its head away for analysis.  It showed rabies and Harry at once commenced treatment for both.  Nothing has developed yet.  He was forbidden to use his cows’ milk or butter.  To be on the safe side, keep dogs tied.  Bethlehem section of Flora Journal Record August 26, 1926
 
  Ike Hufhines thought he saw a mad dog, hollered till he was black in the face.  Brush Creek section of Flora Journal Record May 13, 1926

 Harry Hardy and child that was bitten by a mad dog are getting along fine and out of danger.--  Bethlehem section of Flora Journal Record –September 2, 1926