BABIES. 525 



become precipitated. Hence its removal is the best treatment. Dr. Arthur P. 

 Luflf in his "Pathology and Treatment of Gout," has shown that the mineral 

 matter of green vegetables increases the solubility of sodium biurate and thus 

 aids its elimination from the system; and that the mineral matter of grain and 

 meat has not this beneficial property (p. 189). The correctness of this state- 

 ment has been amply proved in practice. 



Hence, if a horse has a gouty tendency, which might be 

 manifested by rheumatic symptoms, we should feed him, as 

 far as practicable, on grass, either in its green state, or in its 

 dried form (hay) ; and should avoid corn. It would also be 

 well to quicken the circulation by judicious exercise, warm 

 clothing, pure air, hand rubbing, and by stimulating the part 

 with an embrocation, such as compound camphor liniment, or 

 a saturated solution of camphor in paraffin oil. Radiant heat 

 baths are an admirable treatment for chronic rheumatism in 

 man. 



A verdict of rheumatism is not unfrequently used as a convenient 

 " get out " by persons who, in certain cases, are unable to determine 

 the cause of the lameness or pain, and do not wish to confess their 

 ignorance. 



Rabies 



is an infective disease which is transmitted from one animal to 

 another by inoculation. 



NATUPvE OF THE DISEASE.— The only special connection be- 

 tween rabies and the dog tribe is that those dogs, wolves, foxes, and 

 jackals which are affected with it, are, by reason of their biting 

 powers, particularly good disseminators of the virus. 



Although the contagion of rabies has not yet been isolated, we 

 have strong reason to believe that the disease is due to bacteria 

 (p. 448), which, on gaining entrance into the system, give rise to a 

 poison that produces the characteristic symptoms. The theory of 

 its microbic origin is strengthened by the fact that the course of the 

 attack is uninfluenced by the amount of the virus received into the 

 body, and that, if the virulent matter be carefully filtered, it will 

 fail to set up rabies by inoculation; although it will give rise tem- 

 porarily to the symptoms of that malady (Blasi and Travali). The 

 virus accumulates chiefly in the brain and in the spinal cord. If the 

 former be its principal seat, furious rabies will, according to Pasteur, 

 be produced; if the latter, "dumb madness " (paralytic rabies) will 

 be the result. The contagion is also to be found in the saliva, tears, 

 milk, and other secretions; but not in the blood. It cannot be 

 carried by the air from one animal to another, and, practically 

 speaking, is communicated only by inoculation. Experiments 

 made by Nocard and others, with the object of giving the disease 



