Wednesday, October 24, 2018

The Death of Fernando Poe Sr.

Sixty-seven years ago on October 23rd, 1951 movie star Fernando Poe Sr. died.


The cause of death? 

Rabies! 
It was disclosed that Poe entered the hospital last Monday complaining of hip pains believed caused by a fall the actor suffered while celebrating something in his studio last week. He did not know that he was suffering from hydrophobia, and the doctors knew it only early Tuesday morning when Poe began complaining of difficulties in respiration and stiffness in the neck. It was then that Dr. Congco, approached Mrs. Poe to ask if the patient was ever bitten by a dog. It was only then that Mrs. Poe said that he was really bitten by a puppy last August and never took anti-rabies injections. 
At 2 a.m., Tuesday, Poe’s infection turned for the worse, and the doctors were summoned for consultations. All said that it was hydrophobia and all the doctors opined that he could not live for 24 hours more. Poe did not know that he was suffering hydrophobia, except at the last minute when, in a moment of consciousness, he asked about his sickness from his friend, Dr. Congco. 
The family recalled that three of Poe’s children were also bitten by the same puppy, but they were injected with anti-rabies serum. He was not similarly treated because he did not believe that he had the virus.
http://video48.blogspot.com/2008/09/october-23-1951-fernando-poe-sr-dies-of.html
He was only 34 years old.

This is another ridiculous dog story. There are not many details about this incident online. In fact this brief news clipping seems to be the sum total of sources discussing his death. Was it a stray puppy? Was it his puppy? How did it contract rabies? How did all his children and himself get bitten by this puppy? What exactly were they doing? There are holes in they story which will never be filled.

But it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that this story just goes to show that rabid and stray dogs have been a problem in the Philippines for decades and no one is safe. Not even a popular celebrity.

6 comments:

  1. David,
    Speaking of rabies. I have a problem with people not closing my gate and letting the dogs out. Yes they have been told several times not to let the dogs out but I'm dealing with Filipinos. Now have a dog in the doggie hospital because they let them out again and he caught parovirus. Dr gives him a 50/50 chance. Goddamn how can Filipinos be so thick?

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    1. That sounds awful. Around here they go house to house giving out free vaccines once a year. Had a dog that had distemper and spirulina and dynatonic which are both products from Dynapharm and the dog survived. The dog was almost dead so this was a last ditch effort.

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    2. One of the subdivisions where we have houses does a yearly rabies shots for the dog owners. Now as for my comment above. About 2 hours after I posted it I looked out the window and they left the gate open again and both dogs gone. I have been telling them for over a year shut the gate and don't let the dogs out.

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    3. It's not looking good for the dog. Vet says losing weight and bloody poop.

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    4. So how is the dog? What happened? Did he make it?

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  2. hindi mo hawak ang iyong buhay

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