Canine &2 Spontaneous Hydrophobia. 475 
or playing’ with an animal, not known to havé 
been rabid? That fuch accidents very rarely 
o¢cur, will be réadily granted; yet, as they feem to 
be within the limits of probability, an important 
léffon is held forth to medical practitioners, not 
to negle& thofe cafes where the faliva has béén 
eommunicated merely to’ the fkin, without any 
vifible injury being fuftained. Tif. The hif- 
tories of Hydrophobia, related: by different 
Authors, as arifing from local. irritation’ of 
wounds, or from violent affections of the mind, - 
operating: fuddenly and powerfully on the ner- 
vous’ fyftem, merit a due confideration. The 
credibility of thefe hiftories' feems’ not only to 
be confirmed, but alfothe ftri@ analogy between 
their fymptoms and thofe of canine madnefs: to 
be farther illuftrated, by: the occurrence! of Hy- 
drophobia in fome cafes of Tetanus. Facts of 
this kind! have been obferved, and commented 
upon, by two celebrated Phyficians.* Dodttor 
Ruth has remarked the joint fimilarity of fomeé 
fpecies of Tetanus, with Hydrophobia. Having 
particularly noticed the fymptoms of irritability 
and debility —and the fenfe of ftrangulation felt 
on {wallowing liquids—as occurring in both'ma- 
ladies, he juftly inferred, that thefe difeafes were 
nearly related in their proximate’ caufe of ner- 
Nnn2 vous 
* Dr. Percivar and Dr. Rusu 
+ Effay on Tetanus— Medical Inquiries, v. 1, 
