IMPROVED. 307 



Now for my Part I cannot fee what Ihould lead The An- 

 this Author into a Belief that the Bite of a Mad- 1^<^^ '^.j^ffers 

 Dog is not fo poifonous as we may imagine, feeing ^^ith^Mr°" 

 daily Experience evinces that it is fo, unlefs it is, QUfon. 

 becaufe- the Wound from the Bite of this Creature 

 when mad, is as eafily healed as any other Wound 

 can be. And really the Bite of a Mad-Dog has this 

 peculiar and wonderful in it, to wit, that fcmetimes 

 the Mifchief is not difcovered 'till the Occafion of 

 its Caufe is quite forgot, as the juflly celebrated Dr. 

 Mead obferves. 



It often happens that the Poifon fliows itfelf two 

 or fix Months, nay fcmetimes a whole Year or 

 longer after the Bite ; and I have been well inform'd 

 from very credible People, that a Carrier between 

 Bernard Cajile and Kirkly Lonfdale in TVeJi more land, 

 went mad three Years after the Bite without any new 

 Aggriivation, and died howling and barking, with 

 all the Symptoms of this fo direful Malady upon 

 him. So that really we cannot tell when we are 

 quite fafe. However, if after forty Days the Crea- TheVenom 

 ture bit continues well without any of the comm.on commonly 

 Symptoms of Madnefs upon him, we may reafon- '"'^^^ ^"^^^" 

 ably conclude the greateft Part of the Danger to be J]!jy^s?^ 

 over. 



I believe, by Experience, and our own Obferva- 

 tion, that the Saliva or Slaver of the Dog is chiefly 

 vitiated, and that the Poifon is only in that, for it 

 is that which ufually infects Wounds. Yet we have 

 fonie authentic Accounts that the Mifchief may be 

 communicated without a Woun'd. Particularly we 

 fee in the Philofophical TranJaSlions an Account of^^i Ac- 

 two Men affeded with Madnefs from touching of count of 

 the Sali'va or Slaver of a Mad-Dog, without any two Men 

 Wound or Bite given. Though I am of Opinion ^^*^^^^ 

 that thefe Men have had fome fore Places upon their ^^^^j.^^^ ^ 

 Hands when they touched the Saliva, and that the Mad-Dog 

 fame has affedled them by penetrating into fuch fore without a 

 Places, otherwife it is fcarce poffible the Thing Wound, 

 (hould come to pafs : For if the outermoft Skin, 



commonly 



