76 



Mr. G. F. Dowdeswell. 



paresis with the usual symptoms of infection was observed, and it 

 died on the 12th day with characteristic appearances. 



In the control animal, infected in similar manner, the incubation 

 period was of exactly the same length, and it died on the same day 

 as the one treated with sublimate, which had been therefore obviously 

 inoperative in this case to destroy or in any wise modify the action of 

 the virus. Had it only prolonged the incubation for a few hoars it 

 would have encouraged further trial, but with the result here 

 obtained I saw no object in this. 



Benzoic acid is recognised as a powerful germicide : Graham 

 Brown (' Archiv Exper. Pathol.,' vol. 8, p. 144) found its soda-salt 

 remarkably destructive to the virus of diphtheria. Rabbits will take 

 considerable quantities of this — benzoate of soda — continued for 

 several days, without any ill effects. 



A rabbit inoculated intracranially with rabies, 15/9/86, one 

 hour afterwards received by subcutaneous injection 1 c.c. of a 

 saturated solution of the salt, which was repeated daily; on the 

 seventh day the animal, much wasted, showed symptoms of infection, 

 with paresis and rise of temperature ; it died on the afternoon of the 

 9th day with well -marked characteristic appearances. In a control 

 rabbit similarly inoculated the incubation period was one day longer 

 than in the animal treated with the benzoate, and it died about twelve 

 hours later. Here, too, the drug obviously had no beneficial action, 

 and even seemed to tend to shorten the incubation period, and assist 

 the activity of the virus. 



I next tried iodine, as an active germicide, dissolving it in a solu- 

 tion of potassic iodide. I found subcutaneous injections of 2 cgrms. 

 of iodine were borne well, which is a materially larger quantity rela- 

 tively to their weight than the established dose for man. Accordingly 

 a rabbit was inoculated with active lyssic virus, 25/10/86, and an 

 hour afterwards 1 cgrm. of iodine in solution was injected subcu- 

 taneously ; this was repeated on the three following days, when the 

 quantity was increased to 2 cgrms. On the afternoon of the 7th day, 

 however, paresis appeared, and the temperature rose to 40*7° C, and 

 on the morning of the 10th day the animal was found dead, with 

 post-mortem appearances that were quite characteristic. In a control 

 animal inoculated at the same time the incubation period was similar, 

 and it died about eighteen hours after the first. 



Thus iodine appeared as inert as the substances previously tried in 

 its action on the virus. 



The next remedy that suggested itself was chloral hydrate. This 

 is not only a powerful germicide but has been often recommended as 

 having a specific action upon the symptoms in rabies, acting directly 

 upon the brain and spinal cord. Rabbits will take enormous doses 

 of this ; 4 grammes even, in an average rabbit, frequently producing 



