for the Cure of the Hydrophohia, 3.^^ 



*' I received," fays Delamethevie, " a letter dated Auguft 7, 

 1778, from M. Noguerez, cure of PaiTy-les-Paris, in which 

 he gave me an account of the method by which he cared 

 of the hydrophobia a gardener named Olivier, who had been 

 bit in the middle finger by a mad cat. Some days before, a 

 man in the fame houlc, who was bit by the fame cat, had 

 feveral fit.^ of the hydrophobia, of which he died in the 

 Hotel-Dieu. It was not till twenty days after the accident 

 happened, that Olivier's fleep began to be interrupted by- 

 violent ao-itations, during which he was delirious. When 

 awake, his eyes had a haggard appearance. The cure having 

 adminiftered to him fifteen drops of volatile alkali in a glafs 

 of water, his patient paid him a vifit next morning, and in- 

 formed him that he had enjoyed good refl during the whole 

 night. The cure made him take, for. two day^^on^er, ten 

 drops of alkali in a glafs of water, and ever fince Olivier has 

 remained in good health. I have employed this remedy 

 with fuccefs for preventing the hydrophobia." 



C. Pelletan, pne of the motl celebrated furgeons of Paris, 

 has infertcd in the public papers, that, by cauterifing the part 

 bit, and afterwards plunging it into cold water, the effects of 

 the hydrophobic virus might be prevented. " This fa6l,'* 

 fays Delametherie, " brings to my remembrance an experi- 

 ment which a game-keeper of He Adam made, feveral times 

 fucceffively, in the prefence of the late prince of Conti. He 

 caufcd himfelf to be bit in the arm by a mad dog, fprinkled 

 over the wound fome gunpowder, and, having fet fire to it, 

 tied up his arm in a wet cloth. Thcfe bites were never at- 

 tended with any bad confequences I was a witnefs to an 

 experiment of the like kind made at Blois by a limonadier, 

 near the bridge. Having been bit in the hand by a mad 

 dog, he immediately burnt fome gunpowder on the wound, 

 and continued well.— -The theory of this important faft is as 

 follows : The burning dccompofes the animal tiffue, and dif- 

 tngages volatile alkali, which is circulated with the blood, 

 and ncutralifcs the hydrophobic virus. Volatile alkali afts 

 with the greateft efficacy, and prevents the cflc'cls of the hy- 

 drophobia. It is fufTicicnt to put fome of it on the wound, 



and 



