H YDROPHOBI A . 201 



comparative ; and I leave it to the consideration 

 of the profession at large, and especially of those 

 employed in our Indian territories, where the 

 occurrence of hydrophobia is so frequent, whether 

 or not, to adopt a preventive measure which offers 

 so certain a check to this most dreadful of all 

 diseases." 



The fit of hydrophobia (or Rabies Canina^) 

 is easily and PARTICULARLY distinguished from 

 every other fit, by VIOLENT CONTRACTIONS of 

 the DIAPHRAGM, accompanied with a spasmodic 

 affection of the throat, glottis, and epiglottis, 

 rendering inspiration violent, and suspending 

 for a time expiration, which at last takes place, 

 in a spasmodic way, with a kind of stertor, 

 causing a noise which has often been com- 

 pared to the barking of a hoarse dog, but is not 

 much like it. This I conceive is owing to the 

 closing of the glottis, and the spasms overpower- 

 ing the action of the muscles of the chest, which 

 are unusually stretched by violent inspiration, 

 caused by the spasmodic action of the diaphragm. 



These muscles, I believe, are considered the 

 natural counteractors to the diaphragm, lungs, and 

 external air. This spasmodic action, and perhaps 



