DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 523 



many analogies to reflex spasms. Trifling mental excitement 

 causes severe outbreaks, violent motions, and excited actions in 

 maniacal patients, just as slight irritation of the skin causes ieflex 

 spasms in patients with tetanus. 



" No lesions characteristic of the disease are foimd in the bod- 

 ies of those who have died of hydrophobia. The most common 

 conditions consist in intense rigor mortis,' extensive post-mortem 

 hypostasis,' early putrefaction, intense staining of the endo-cardium' 

 and walls oT the vessels, hyperemia'' and serous exudation in 

 the brain and its membranes, in the spinal marrow, in some of 

 the sympathetic ganglia and nerves ; hypersemia and swelling of 

 the mouth and fauces, both of which contain a collection of tena- 

 cious mucus ; hypostasis^ and oedema^ of the posterior part of the 

 lungs ; engorgement of the walls of the stomach, and great abdom- 

 inal glands. All these lesions, especially the injection of the 

 nervous centres and nerves, upon which at times great stress has 

 been laid as explanatory of the nature of the disease, are not con- 

 stant, and, for the most part, seem to arise just prior to dissolu- 

 tion, in consequence of the disturbance suffered by the functions 

 of respiration and circulation during the attacks described. In 

 the cases which I have seen, autopsy' showed a decided swelling 

 of the tonsils and follicular glands at the root of the tongue and 

 the posterior wall of the pharynx, exactly corresponding with 

 Virchow's observations.'' 



I know not what I can say of the treatment of this terrible 

 disease. There is no well authenticated case on record, that I am 

 aware of, in which a hydrophobic person has recovered. As it 

 has been, so it is still, " larpa; iarai dauarog." The physician that 

 heals is death. There can be no ground, therefore, for the re- 



' Rigor mortis : — The muscular rigidity which takes place a few hours aftei 

 death. 



"^ Hypostasis : — Sediment. In this connection means a sediment or deiiosit it 

 the urine occurring after death. 



' Endo-cardium .'—The serous membrane lining the interior of the heart. 



* HypertEmia : — Congestion of blood in a part. 



* Hypostasis : — In this connection has reference to the sediment deposited 

 from the sere us fluid in the lungs. 



* (Edema : — A minor degree of dropsical swelling, 



* Autopsy : — Post-mortem : or as is generally applied, a thorough examinatioQ 

 »f a body after death. Post-mortem is oftener applied to a partial examination. 



