Pinckard on Hydrophobia. — Rees's Cyclopaedia. 379 



entire skeletons of the snake beautifully dissected by these mi- 

 nute anatomists. 



From these circumstances it would appear, that ants are a 

 considerable check to the increase of those venomous reptiles, 

 so troublesome in the torrid zone : their industry, perseverance, 

 courage, and numerical force, seem to strengthen the conjec- 

 ture : in that case they amply remunerate us for their own de- 

 predations. 



LXVI. Notices respecting Netv Books. 



Ur. Pinckard has just published a small work, containing four 

 Cases of violent Death following the Infliction of Wounds made 

 by the Bite of Dogs. He considered the diseases which followed 

 as Hydrophobia, but the symptoms in all, according as they are 

 related in the work, varied: in the first case, the greatest aver- 

 sion to water prevailed; in the second, the patient drank freely 

 of that element by his own desire. But the most unsatisfactory 

 circumstance, in all the-four cases, is that there is no proof of 

 the dogs themselves being mad at all : — three of them ran away 

 and were never heard of, and the fourth was almost immediately 

 killed. The impolicy of destroying dogs in such cases, instead of 

 tying them up to see if they turned out mad, is the most obvious 

 fact illustrated by the publication in question. It is well known 

 that punctured wounds in certain constitutions have produced 

 tetanus and other sort of convulsions ending in death, without the 

 concurrence or aid of any specific virus ; and we must still lament 

 that no satisfactory account lias ever been given of the mysterious 

 disease called Hydrophobia. 



The concluding part of Dr. Rees's Cijclopcedia is about to make 

 its appearance. This elaborate and highly useful work has been 

 conducted with a degree of spirit and liberality highly creditable 

 to the Editor and Publishers ; and, which is not always the case 

 with such extensive undertakings, improving from its commence- 

 ment to its termination. To the spirited proprietors arc the pub- 

 lic indebted for setting an example which none will venture hence- 

 forth to disregard in works of this nature, by giving the illustra- 

 tive plates in a style of drawing and engraving which reflects great 

 credit on the contrivers and cxccuters of this great national work. 

 We would suggest that at least one supplementary volume should 

 be added to the work, for the purpose of giving such additional 

 discoveries and improvements in the sciences and arts as luivc 

 been made at various times since the work was commenced, and 



for 



