398 HYDKOPHOBIA. 



leading characteristics of the disease in respect to any species 

 or individual ; and as to hydrophobia, or the fear of water, the 

 characteristic is only true in its application to human beings 

 affected with the disease ; not even to them invariably. 



Human beings, when the disease is far advanced, and 

 whilst suffering from a paroxysm, cannot swallow water or 

 other liquids, because of the throat -convulsions that super- 

 vene ; but they do not invariably, or even usually, manifest 

 a fear of liquids. In dogs the throat-convulsions are less se- 

 vere ; hence these animals seem to have no difficulty in swal- 

 lowing water. On the contrary, they lap it with avidity, as 

 if suffering from an unquenchable thirst ; and so far from 

 showing any aversion to or fear of water, dogs affected with 

 rabies, if previously accustomed to wade or swim, will betake 

 themselves to water, and, plunging wildly about, will give the 

 impression of their seeking to quench a consuming fire. 



Madness, in the ordinary sense of persistent insanity, never 

 characterises rabies in the human subject. Such mental 

 wandering as occurs is more comparable to that of hysteria. 

 It comes in paroxysms, then ceases, and leaves the faculties 

 clear. 



It has only happened to the writer of this to meet with 

 a case of hydrophobia in the human subject once. It was 

 during his student experience, and it made an impression that 

 will never be obliterated. Speaking after the lapse of many 

 years, I forget the antecedents of the case (nor would they 

 be material here), the symptoms have only left their impress; 

 but premising that the case here referred to was treated in 

 Westminster Hospital in the spring of 1836, the particulars 

 of it will doubtless come to the recollection of some individual 

 readers who are old enough to remember. The patient was a 

 man rather past middle age ; and when it is considered that 

 I saw the patient only the day before death, then will it fol- 

 low that the disease must have been far advanced. 



This patient had no dread of water ; on the contrary, he 



