226 RABIES CANINA, 



have authentic accounts of it for more than 2000 years. It is 

 described with some accuracy both by Aristotle and Dias- 

 CORJDES. Other of the antients Hkewise notice it*. — History 

 has continued to furnish us with numerous traces of it, par- 

 ticularly in Europe, where it seems sometimes to have raged 

 with epidemic fury, and at others to have been but little 

 knownt. In 1500, Spain was ravag-ed by it. In 1604 it was 

 very common in Paris J ; and 100 years after this, Germany 

 became the theatre of this dreadful scourg-e among its wolves 

 as well as dogs. Naturalists, historians, and physicians, of 

 every age, have left short but frightful records of its dread- 

 ful visitations ; and periodical notices have shewn that it has 

 never been wholly lost sight of. Some works of magnitude 

 have also marked its ravages, written by the authors of 

 Spain, Italy, Germany, and France ; but their accounts were 

 so blended with received errors, as to convey little informa- 

 tion. The illustrious Boerhaave may, perhaps, be consider- 

 ed among the first who, by attentive observation, threw 

 light on the rabid malady in dogs ||. In England, little had 

 appeared worthy of notice until the account presented by Mr. 

 Meynell. This celebrated sportsman published his memoir 

 in the 10th volume of the Medical Commentaries ; and if his 



venomous animal, then it would a^Dpear that Cynoly'ssa is a more critical 

 term than any in common use. " La classification de la rage a quelque 

 chose de defectueux dans toutes les nosologies."— TroZh'ef sur la Bage^ 

 p. 575. 



* Some doubt seems to be entertained, whether Hippocrates, in his 

 Coac(B PrcBnotiones, intended to describe the rabid malady, when he 

 says " Phrenetici parum bibentes, strepitum valde percipientes, tremuli 

 aut convulsi." 



f Not that I believe the rabid malady ever arises spontaneously ; but 

 that sometimes the inoculation of it takes place under circumstances 

 particularly favourable to its rise and future propagation, as will be 

 hereafter explained. 



+ Journal de Henri IV, tome iii, p. 221. 



il Aphorism 1 135, where, although some error is apparent, yet much, 

 truth also appears. 



f 



