HYDKOPHOBIA 539 



days. This having been attained, two or three rabbits 

 are inoculated subdurally every day, so that there is a 

 daily supply of animals dead of the disease. The spinal 

 cord is removed with aseptic precautions, cut into con- 

 venient segments, and suspended in bell jars containing 

 a layer of caustic potash at the bottom, which serves to 

 desiccate them. The jars are dated, and preserved in 

 glass cases in a dark room, kept at a constant temperature 

 of about 23 C. In Paris the vaccine fluids are prepared by 

 triturating portions of the dried cords in sterile broth, 

 so as to form an emulsion 1 cm. of cord in 5 c.c. of sterile 

 broth, of which 1 c.c. (i.e. 2 mm. of cord) forms a single 

 dose. At the commencement of treatment the cords 

 which have been dried for fourteen days are used, at the 

 end of treatment those which have been dried for only 

 three days ; the latter are much more virulent, and would 

 communicate the disease but for the previous treatment. 

 The rabbits employed should all be of the same weight 

 (2J kilogrammes in Paris) ; if the rabbits are small, a 

 slightly shorter period of desiccation of the cords would 

 be necessary. The treatment varies in duration according 

 to the severity of the case, which is gauged by the number 

 and situation of the bites and by the species of animal. 

 Bites on exposed parts are regarded as much more serious 

 than those through clothing, and on the face, where 

 efficient treatment is difficult, than on the hands, and 

 wolf-bites than dog-bites. 



The doses are injected subcutaneously in the flank, 

 and do not produce much constitutional disturbance. 

 At first there is a feeling of lassitude, and considerable 

 muscular tenderness at the seat of inoculation, which 

 later on passes off. At Lille, where there are only a few 

 cases under treatment at a time, the cords, after drying 

 for the requisite period, are placed in pure sterile glycerin. 

 In this they retain their virulence unimpaired for about 



