422 Case of Hydropholia cured in India, ly Bleed'nig. 



blood is not the practice. The vein must be opened by a 

 large orifice, the blood quickly evaciiaied, aud allowed to 

 flow, without rcoard to measurement, ad animi deliqumm. 

 Nothing less tlian this is capable of at once arresting the 

 progress of the fli.-ease, relieving the spasmodic affection of 

 the heart and arteries, suppressing excessive sensibility and 

 irritability ; and, in short, of admitting the restoration of 

 that due balance of action and influence, both in the cir- 

 culatinc; and nervous systems, on which the continuance of 

 life and health seems to depend. 



But I lay nu stress on this or any other pathology of the 

 disease. Well authenticated trials of the remedy in an 

 early stage of it, are what I desire to see. If it fails iu 

 many of these, when used in the manner above proposed, 

 within twenty-four, or, to speak with some latitude, thirty 

 hours of the commencement of the symptoms, I confess I 

 shall feel much disappointed ; and not a little mortified, to 

 be obliged, after such fair prospects, to reject a remedy, 

 which has cflected twice, in the short space of seven months, 

 what was scarcely ever efiecied before; and to class it with 

 tlTat useless farrago of remedies and practices, which, though 

 used hundreds of times, and for a series of years, have 

 never once been known to accomplish a cure of hydro- 

 phobia. 



With respect to llie subsequent treatment of the patient, 

 it is scarcely nece-sary to make any remark. The case 

 clearly shows that lor the hydrophobia no subsequent treat- 

 ment was required. But as this and many other cases on 

 record show a great dispositit)n to disordered and excessive 

 action of the liver, it may perhaps hereafter be found useful 

 to administer mercury both as an evacuant, and to the ex- 

 tent of afTeciing the mouth, with or without opium, ac- 

 cording to circumstances. 



It is usual, when new and successful expedients are first 

 promuliratcd, to wonder vvhy they never were thought of 

 before. In conformity to this habit, I have frequently 

 within the last ten days been asked why, in a disease so 

 often proved incurable by other means, bleeding was not 

 before tried ? The fact is, however, ttiat bleeding lias often 

 leen tried. But owing, probably, to the evacuation not 

 being pushed far enough, wla-n used in an early stage of 

 the clit^ease — or to the ptiiod for its beneficial employinent 

 having elapsed before it was resorted to — ihe relation of the 

 cases \n which it was used aflbrded little or no encourage- 

 ment to further trials; while the the(jry that has prevade^ 

 for nearly a century in regard to the nature of the afleclioq, 



and 



