230 

 fortunate, to know that, when any accidental caus<. has 

 operated to delay the operation, it may be as safely 

 done at the end of one, two, or three weeks as at the 

 first. I have frequently performed the operation 

 many days after ihe original wound has been perfect- 

 ly healed up, and it has always been with perfect suc- 

 cess. Nor is there an authenticated instance to the 

 contrary on record. It becomes a matter of the high' 

 est importance that this should be universally known, 

 as the contrary is the opinion of many medical men, 

 and almost the universal opinion among the public. 

 To reason upon it physiologically, is not easy ; for 

 then, by analogy, it would seem reasonable to con- 

 clude that the virus is inmiediutely absorbed, and 

 hence tliat it must at some time become active, 

 Cullen and some others, who maintviijicd a sim.ilar 

 opinion as to the safety of delaying the operation, 

 did not suppose that the virus was innnediateiy ab- 

 sorbed, and that therefore it was to ihis source that 

 tlie safety of the parties was to be attributed when 

 the operation was delayed ; but it is hardly recon- 

 cileable to any known fact that a wound shall heal 

 with a foreign and malignant virus within it. On 

 the contrary, I am of opinion firmly, that the poison- ^ 

 ous matter from the dog is absorbed nearly as soon 

 as received, and that it is taken into the constitution 

 with the otjier absorbed fluids. Here it remains dor- 

 mant till called into action by some agents unknown 

 to us ; but I am of opinion that, before it can pro- 

 duce any of its effects, it nmst raise a secondary in- 

 flammation in the original bitten part, and that, \\ith- 

 out this inflammation takes place, no mischief can ever 

 ensue. Consequently, when the original bitten part has 



