BABIES.] 



rOB MOUNTAIN, FIELD, AND FAR^ [uumu madmebs. 



dwarf box that is tlioro uspcl, and is usimlly 

 unitt'il with a tlt'cootion of thu hora of tho 

 rhinoceroa. As from our own oxperiLMice, and 

 tl>e testimony of others, wo are inclined to placo 

 Boine di'pendeneo on tlio prevent ivo properties 

 of tl>e tree box, we shall iiitroduco the original 

 formula of ' Webb's Drink,' as gained by 

 ourselves from one of the family di8[)enser8 of 

 it, whose oath was taken as to its being tho 

 <»enuino recipe : — ' Take of the fresli leaves of 

 the tree box, two ounces ; of tho fresh leaves 

 of rue, two ounces ; of sage, lialf an ounce ; 

 chop these finely, and after boiling them in a 

 pint of water to half a pint, strain and press 

 out the liquor ; beat them in a mortar, or 

 otherwise bruise them thoroughly, and boil 

 them again in a pint of new milk, until the 

 quantity decreases to half a pint, which press 

 out as before. After this, mix both tho boiled 

 liquors, which will make three doses for a 

 human subject. Double this quantity will 

 form three doses for a horse or cow; two- 

 thirds of it is sufficient for a large dog, calf, 

 sheep, or hog ; half the quantity is required 

 for a middle-sized dog; and one-third for a 

 smaller one. These three doses are said to be 

 sufficient, and one of them is directed to be 

 given every morning fasting. Both human 

 and brute subjects are treated in the same 

 manner, according to the proportions speci- 

 fied.' " 



Upon this specific IMr. Blaine places a con- 

 siderable, but not a full reliance. lie says, 

 however, that whenever a very useful or a 

 favourite dog was in question, he should make 

 a trial of it ; at the same time he would watch 

 the animal with the utmost attention. 



The opinions of experienced sportsmen upon 

 rabies and its modes of treatment by practised 

 veterinarians, are well worthy of an extensive 

 diflusion amongst the people. Mr. Youatt, who 

 had even more experience in the treatment of 

 this disease than Mr, Blaiue, remarks — " The 

 veterinary surgeon, when operating on tho 

 horse, cattle, or the dog, frequently has re- 

 course to the actual cautery. I could, per- 

 haps, excuse this practice, although I would 

 not adopt it in superficial wounds ; but I do 

 not know the instrument that could be safely 

 used iu deeper ones. If it were sufiicieutly 

 small to adapt itself to the tortuous course of 

 email wounds, it would be cooled and inert 



before it could have destroyed tho deepest 

 portions of tbo wound." He statca a cuso in 

 which several horses had been bitten, and, on 

 lunar caustic being applied to one, it waa 

 saved ; the hot iron to tho others, which wore 

 lost: Jiientioniug other eases in which caustic 

 was ellioacious, and tho cautery perfectly use- 

 less. Liquid and otiier applications of a soft 

 or semi-fiuid mass, have a tendency to aggra- 

 vate tho disease, by re-inoculating the injured 

 parts ; while, by the eilects of lunar caustic, it 

 being dry, hard, and insoluble, this danger ia 

 avoided. 



M. Guerin-Mcnevillc, some time ago,brought 

 before the French Academy of Sciences a 

 means of curing hydrophobia, which, he stated, 

 is practised iu liussia with success. A little 

 insect, the golden cetonides, found in con- 

 siderable quantities on rose-trees, is proved, 

 when pounded to a powder, and administered 

 internally, to produce a profound sleep, which 

 sometimes lasts for thirty-six hours, and which 

 has the efiect, in many cases, of completely 

 nullifying the hydrophobic affection. A dis- 

 tinguished entomologist of Eussia, M. Mots- 

 chouski, has tried several experiments with 

 this insect, and in most cases with success. 



Whatever virtue there may be in these 

 specifics, we fear it will be a long time before 

 they receive a very extensive application; 

 therefore it is to the cautery or to the knife 

 that recourse must be had to prevent danger, 

 or, perhaps, death, resulting from the bite of a 

 rabid animal. Mr. Blaine says, that three 

 times his life had been endangered by the 

 bites of mad dogs, and three times he had to 

 sufier cauterisation, excision, and some mental 

 agitation, as, doubtless, every one must suffisr 

 who has had the misfortune to be subjected to 

 such an evil. What his experience sug- 

 gested him to do to himself, we would recom- 

 mend to be done to others, in the absence 

 of other curative means, which may be leas 

 severe, and, we may add, probably less eflfective. 



AVe have hitherto treated of this malady in 

 its most acute form. We will now briefly 

 consider its other state, which appears in what 

 is called 



DUMB MADNESS. 



This kind of rabies is so called from the 

 animal affected by it exhibiting an absolute 



479 



