378 



Hydrophobia, Lyssa, or Rabies 



SCHEME FOR INTENSIVE TREATMENT 



(From Bulletin No. 65, Hygienic Laboratory, June, 1910, U. S. Public Health 

 and Marine-Hospital Service.) 



The Dilution Method Hogyes,* of Budapest, believes that Pas- 

 teur was mistaken in supposing that the drying was of importance 

 in attenuating the virus, and thinks that dilution is the chief factor. 

 He makes an emulsion of rabbit's medulla (i gram of medulla to 10 

 cc. of sterile broth) as a stock solution, to be prepared freshly every 

 day, and uses it for treatment, the first dilution used being i : 10,000; 

 then on succeeding days i : 8000, i : 6000, i : 5000, i : 2000, 

 i : 1000, i : 500, i : 250, i : 200, i : 100, and finally the full strength, 

 i : 10. 



Cabotf found the dilution method attended with danger to the 

 animal immunized, which was not true of the dried-cord method of 

 Pasteur. 



The Inspissation Method. A new method of carrying out the 

 dilution method, suggested by Harris and Shackell,f seems to be 

 devoid of danger to the patient and bids fair to recommend itself 

 on the ground of greater accuracy than former methods. It depends 

 upon Shackell's method of desiccation :{ ; 



The material to be dried is placed in the bottom of a Schubler's vacuum 

 desiccating jar, in the upper part of which is a separate dish containing sulphuric 

 acid. The temperature is reduced by placing the jar, half submerged, in a salt 

 and ice mixture, and after thorough solidification of the material has resulted, 

 a rapid vacuum is produced by a Geryk pump to less than 2 mm. of mercury. 

 During the process of desiccation, the temperature in the lower half should be 

 kept several degrees below oC. Unless the sulphuric acid be repeatedly shaken 

 to prevent saturation with water, the time required for complete desiccation 

 will be unduly prolonged. 



By this method brains and cords may be desiccated in toto, with- 



* "Acad. des Sciences de Buda-Pest," Oct. 17, 1897; "Centralbl. f. Bakt. u. 

 Parasitenk.," 1887, n, 579. 



t ''Journal of Experimental Medicine," 1899, vol. iv, No. 2. 

 JLab. Sec. Amer. Pub. Health Asso., Sept. 6, 1910. 



