Vi PREFACE. 



recent revelations of science have led me to conclusions 

 different to those arrived at by my former teacher, I have 

 not hesitated to depart from those teachings. 



We are now passing through one of the most remarkable 

 epochs in the history of medical science and research. New 

 and startling discoveries are constantly being made — not 

 only regarding the origin and nature of diseases which 

 have for ages baffled every effort of their investigators, but 

 also as regards their cure in some cases, and prophylaxis in 

 other cases, matters which, until very recently, were by 

 many regarded as impossible to effect. Notably among 

 recent important discoveries is that of M. Pasteur, the 

 celebrated French scientist, in regard to that most dreadful 

 of all diseases, 'rabies.' M. Pasteur has very recently an- 

 nounced to the world that he has succeeded in discovering 

 and perfecting a method of inoculation with attenuated 

 rabic virus, by means of which the occurrence of rabies can 

 be prevented after the infliction of the bite. It is stated 

 that the efficacy of the treatment has been tested in hundreds 

 of cases without a single failure being recorded, except in 

 such cases as did not undergo treatment until too great a 

 time had elapsed after the reception of the bite for any 

 treatment to be of avail. If this announcement of M. 

 Pasteur's be true — and there seems every probability of it 

 being so — the bite of a rabid dog, instead of being regarded 

 as an occurrence of such dreadful import, will give rise to 

 no alarm other than such as might be occasioned by the 

 infliction of an ordinary wound, in which case M. Pasteur 

 may be considered to have conferred upon the human race 



