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when they should be destroyed. Up to the present time it is not 
only not known, but no probable conjecture has been formed of the 
causes which produce rabies. The best cared-for dogs are its 
victims, whilst others that are totally neglected are rarely attacked. 
There are three well-marked stages of the complaint in the dog— 
the first is characterised by melancholy, depression, sullenness, and 
fidgetiness ; the second by excitement by rabid fury; and the third 
and last by muscular debility and actual paralysis. It is most 
important to recognize the first stage early in the disease. In the 
early part of 1774 rabies was causing much alarm in Lancashire, 
and we find that at a general meeting of the parishioners of Eccles, 
near Manchester, it was unanimously agreed to strike off the poor’s 
rates all paugers who should keep dogs. They agreed to pay 5s. for 
every mad dog killed in their parish. In the winter of 1807 it raged 
in Dover and in some of the neighbouring towns. Many cases of | 
hydrophobia occurred in the human species. ; 
I have left the subject of treatment to the last part of my paper. 
Tt is an almost universal rule in the practice of medicine that in 
proportion as the number of remedies increase for any one disease, 
so the value of each one lessens. The rule holds good especially in 
hydrophobia remedies. They are without end, but as far as we 
mow at present, no single “ specific”’ exists. Poisons enter the 
blood and pass through the circulation in an almost incredibly short 
space of time, and unless the poison can be extracted immediately, or 
unless there is some known antidote, the chance of destroying the 
poison is minimal. 
Destroying the poison at the seat of entrance and bandaging the 
parts above, so as to prevent transit of it, seems at present the 
wisest treatment to adopt. Of the various remedies and methods 
uf cure the following may be mentioned: various destroying local 
applications, such as ordinary caustic, chloride of zinc, actual 
cautery ; the actual excision of the wound ; and even amputation of 
the limb itself. This last method was recommended by the late Sir 
Thomas Watson, who stated, were he ever the subject of hydro- 
phobia, he would readily submit to such a severe measure of treat- 
‘ment. The so called specifics, such as mercury, curara, Calabar 
bean, have been tried in vain. - Turkish baths have also been 
‘strongly recommended, but with no effect. Sedatives such as 
opium, chloral, chloroform, have also failed. Lastly we must 
“consider somewhat in detail the latest and probably the most philo- 
sophic treatment, that of Pasteur by vaccination of modified virus 
of rabies. 
Ima paper read before tlis society four years ago on “ Germs,” 
I mentioned then the probability of vaccimation of hydrophobia 
__ taking place. This has since been done by Pasteur, but the success 
