Our Willie Is Saved
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Title |
Our Willie Is Saved |
Subject |
Willie Chamberlain |
Transcript |
"Our Willie Is Saved" More than a century ago, one of the dangers in rural South Texas came from the rabid coyotes, skunks, cats and dogs. It was said that a mad coyote would run among a pack of coyotes, biting everything that moved, infecting the whole pack. This was always a great danger in times of drought, when rabbits and other animals came in close to the ranch houses in search of water. And the coyotes came after them. In the drought year of 1888, in the early spring, Willie Chamberlain, Henrietta King's young brother, was bitten by a mad coyote on the King Ranch. Back then, anyone bitten by a rabid animal faced an almost certain and painful death. But young Chamberlain was lucky. The ranch's doctor, a friend of the family was Corpus Christi physician Dr. Arthur Spohn. As told in Tom Lea's great book, "King Ranch" Dr. Spohn had just read of a medical breakthrough by a French doctor in the treatment of rabies. Dr. Spohn took Willie Chamberlain on a fast clipper ship across the Atlantic. In Paris, the great Louis Pasteur administered his newly discovered inoculation against rabies. In a story dated April 24, 1888, Pasteur said, "Our Willie is saved." Willie Chamberlain, bitten by a mad coyote on the King Ranch, the first to be saved from the horrors of rabies by the Pasteur treatment, with no little thanks to Dr. Arthur Spohn for keeping up with new medical discoveries. More than a decade later , Henrietta King would make a generous donation to help Dr. Spohn build his hospital on North Beach. Murphy Givens: KEDT Radio Scripts |
Author |
Murphy Givens |
Publisher |
KEDT Radio |
Date |
12/14/2001 |
Type |
Sound Recording |
Format |
MP3; Length 2 min. 1 sec. |
Language |
English |
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