for the Cure ()f the Hydrophd'ht. - a53 



for children of twelve years of age, diminiflitng the dofe ac- 

 cordino- to the age. Four grains are given to oxen morninsc 

 and evening, and they are made to faft twcnty-foui; hours. 

 It is recommended to thofe who take this remedy, to remaia 

 twelve hours in bed in order to excite perfpiration. The pa- 

 tient alfo, during that period, muft abftain from food and 

 drink. It is recommended likewife, in the obfervations oix 

 the Pruflian cure, to burn the fliirt which the patient had oa 

 while fubjefted to perfpiration. The wounds arc to be waflied 

 with wine and vinegar into which fait has been put, and to 

 be afterwards dreifed with bafilicon or fait butter. If this 

 remedy fucceeds, its effedls are to be afcribed to the profca- 

 rabo'us melo'e, which has the property of cantharides ; an in- 

 fect which belongs to the fame genus, and Which the cele- 

 brated Stoll, profeflbr of medicine at Vienna, and director of 

 one of the hofpitals in that city, has aflerted to be a fpecific 

 in the hydrophobia. His^firft care was to cover the wound 

 with a veficatory, which he continually renewed. He pre- 

 fcribed internally tinclure of cantharides, at firft two drops, 

 which he increafed progreflively for forty days, according to 

 the age and conftitution of the patient : the dofe at laft was 

 carried to twenty-four drops, which may feem almoft incre- 

 dible. This medicine is the moft violent diuretic known, 

 and the application of it requires an able hand : but its effi- 

 cacy is aflerted to be well eflabliflicd ; as alfo, that it pro- 

 duces the moft falutavy effcdls even when the hydrophobic 

 poifon has had time to dift'ufe itfelf throughout the mafs of 

 the blood. In the laft ftages of the difeafc, the obftacle hi- 

 therto mofi: invincible is the difficulty of making the patient 

 fwallow any remedy. Every body knows the convulfions 

 and horrid paroxyfms into which the imfortunate fuflerers 

 are thrown merely by the fight of any liquid. Stoll was of 

 opinion, that the en"ccl of the hydrophobic virus on the fenfes 

 is directly the revcrfc of that of opium : it augments irrita- 

 bility as much as opium lowers it : the leaft noife, the fmallcft 

 degree of light, to perfons labouring under this dreadful ma- 

 lady, produces torture beyond dcfcriplion ; and the difll-ilion 

 of bodies, in which no change in the humours or in the or- 

 gauifatioxi was obfcrved, fcems to prove that this opinion is 



well 



