Case of Hijdropliolia cured in India by Bleeding. 421 



f/ractice that had been pursued in London during that year, 

 and nolicino; the fadure of evcrv expedient, sums up his 

 history with this opprobrious sentence : " On the whole, 

 therefore, we may be considered as remaining in the most 

 entire ignorance both of the nature of the disease, and of 

 the method of cure, or even of palliating a single symptom." 



Such was the dibhearteninsr lano-uao-e universally held on 

 the subject of hydrophobia. I humbly trust that it can be 

 held no longer ; that the case above related, coming so soon. 

 after tliat of Mr. Tymon, entitles us to indulge more ani- 

 mating vii'ws for the future ; and that it will not be long 

 before additional experience sliall serve to confirm the hope, 

 which seems now to rest on so promising a foundation, 

 that a remedy has at length been discovered for this hitherto 

 uncontrollable disease. 



It is mortifying to the pride of science to acknowledge 

 it, — but if further trials of bleeding ad deliqim/m shall con- 

 firm its power of curing hydrophobia when used early ia 

 the disease, it is nevertheless impossible to conceal that 

 this solum et wncuni remedium has apparently been hitherto 

 overlooked in consequence of an overweening fondness for 

 system, which led medical writers to class hydrophobia 

 with diseases of the nervous kind, and to dwell particularly 

 on its resemblance to tetanus. That disease being consi- 

 dered as highly asthenic, blood-letting, perhaps without 

 Bufficient reason, has been thought inadmissible. Anti- 

 spasinodics and tonics have been euiploycd in all quantities 

 and forms ; and though by such remedies scarcely one casC' 

 of tetanus in fifty has ever been cured, the same treatment 

 has been rather preposterously it should seem, transferred 

 to hydrophobia.— l)ecause, under such hop{;less circum- 

 stances, uvalogTj has been said to be our surest guide. 

 Whither has it guided us ? Never certainly to a single cure 

 of hydrophobia. — It may perhaps with greater truth be 

 said to havc.'becn an ignis Jut iiiis^ which has served to lead 

 us into difficulties and dangers, rather than to conduct us 

 into the naiutuary path of curative science; and that, per- 

 haps, in more diseases than the cue under immediate con- 

 sideration. 



Afitr expressing so little respect for analogy, the pro- 

 fessi-d guide ol physicians, in the treatment of Fiydrophobia, 

 shall I not be accused of inconsistency, or of indulging in 

 notions of too speculative a nature, if I ofTer a hint that 

 sonic use may yet lie derived from this favourite analogy, 

 by pursuing it in an opposite direction ; and if, instead of 

 applying to hydroj-(hobia the treatment which soldoni suc- 



Ceede4 



