RABIES. 509 



iivoid 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 infrequently used as a convenient 

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

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

 their ignorance. 



Rabies. 



This is an infective disease which is transmitted from one animal 

 to another by inoculation. 



NATURE 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. 446), 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 tlie 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 temporarily 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 mad-' 

 ness " (paralytic rabies) will be the result. The contagion is alsoi 

 to bs 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 by feeding dogs on virulent rabic 

 matter such as the brain and spinal cord of dogs which had died 

 from rabies, have always failed. A pregnant animal which becomes 

 affected with rabies, can communicate the disease to its foeius. 

 Nocard and Roux have shown that the saliva of a dog which has 

 been inoculated with rabies, becomes capable of giving the disease, 

 as long as three days before the characteristic symptoms make 

 their appearance. Pasteur hau shown that the infectious matter 



