HYDROPHOBIA . 199 



hope of success from adopting the same remedies 

 which have since so often failed. I have attended 

 a great many persons in the fit, and in no instance 

 could I give the smallest relief; such scenes were 

 most distressing at the time, and now often pain- 

 fully intrude themselves on my recollection. 



Our forefathers (could they be told) would 

 not readily believe that inoculating with vaccine 

 virus, would prevent the small pox ; or at least 

 render it so mild as to be of little consequence ; 

 of which I believe every unprejudiced mind must 

 now be convinced, and feel thankful for so ines- 

 timable a discovery. I wish it were alike in my 

 power to offer to the public some successful re- 

 medy for this terrific disease ; unfortunately it is 

 not, and I now communicate my ideas principally 

 with the hope of affording some consolation to 

 such as are unfortunately bitten by mad animals, 

 and who have it in their power to use preventives. 

 I shall also give a short description of the fit of 

 hydrophobia as it always appeared to me, which 

 may help such as have never witnessed it to dis- 

 tinguish it from other fits. For the first I shall 

 copy part of a paper communicated by me to 

 Dr. James Johnson, and inserted by him in his 

 Medical Chirurgical Journal for April, 1819. 



