OR MADNESS. 273 



proved successful, these accounts are not now relied on *. 

 I tried it on two rabid dogs to the extinction of life almost, 

 and it certainly suspended the progress of the complaint for 

 some hours ; which I attribute not to any specific virtue in 

 the bathing itself, but to the violence done to the constitu- 

 tion : for it is remarkable, that any great violence offered, 

 from accidental causes t, during the progress of the disease, 

 particularly in its early stages, in every instance appears to 

 beget a new action, which, for a time, arrests the progress 

 of the rabid one, and suspends its more active symptoms for 

 a longer or shorter period, usually in proportion to the vi- 

 olence done. The morbid poison, however, soon resumes 

 its ascendancy, and the fatal issue is only protracted, but 

 never removed. 



Warm bathings have been also fully tried, both in aritient 

 and modern times, with no better success. Bleeding largely 

 w^as an antient remedy, which has been revived by the mo- 

 derns ; and on the authority of some reputedly successful 

 cases, but now discredited, I was induced to try it to its 

 fullest extent fad deliqiiium) on two or three rabid dogs. 

 Mr. YouATT has also, I believe, done the same J, but with- 

 out permanent benefit; although in these instances, as in all 

 others where much violence had been committed on the con- 



* Celsus recommends it, and gives instances of its successful appli- 

 cation. Euripides is one who was said to have been cured by it. 



f During the ravings of a rabid dog it is to be expected that he will 

 meet with severe beatings from other dogs, and, not unfrequently, he 

 will be subject to violent attacks from human persons, from whom he 

 may, however, eventually escape, although half killed. I have had 

 many opportvmities of observing dogs, after their return, which have 

 been so treated, and I have invariably found that an absence of the more 

 active appearances of disease have followed for two or three days, and 

 that, in some cases, to such a degree as to deceive those around, and 

 make them consider the recovery of the animal as certain, but gradually 

 the complaint has returned with all its violence. 



X M. GossiER, Professor of the Veterinary School of Lyons, also em- 

 ployed bleeding on three dogs to deliquium, without success. 



