On Rabies. 



81 



but the former died on the morning of the 18th day, and both the 

 others on the 21st, so that here again there was no benefit from the 

 action of the drug, but apparently the reverse. 



Allyl alcohol has been suggested as a powerful germicide ; I there- 

 fore tried its action upon rabbits, but I found it so rapidly and fatally 

 toxical, even in the most minute quantities, that no benefit could be 

 expected from its action. 



Urethan (carbamate of ethyl) has been recommended for its action 

 on the spinal cord ; I therefore tried it, giving it subsequently to 

 infection, but the result was equally negative. 



Rabbits are singularly tolerant of atropine, even 1 gramme of the 

 sulphate given subcutaneously often having no apparent action upon 

 them. It could not therefore be expected to modify the symptoms. 

 Moreover, Youatt* had tried the effect of belladonna extensively upon 

 dogs infected with rabies, and though at first he had hopes of its 

 efficacy, these were disappointed, and he ultimately found it useless. 



I have also tried the action of arsenic upon rabbits. In the dog, given 

 as arsenite of potash, it is a well-known and active tonic alterative. 

 In man, too, and the horse it is used in some countries, with the result 

 of increasing strength and endurance. In the rabbit, however, I could 

 perceive no beneficial result from its administration, though the 

 animal is very tolerant of it, and it takes large quantities propor- 

 tionately to its weight without showing any symptoms of disturbance ; 

 I have not consequently tried its effect upon the virus of rabies. 



In order to ascertain conclusively whether the bichloride of mercury, 

 chloral, benzoate of soda or iodine had any toxical or inhibitory action 

 upon the virus itself, though not modifying the symptoms it produces, 

 other rabbits were inoculated intracranially from the medullas of the 

 animals that had been subjected to their influence ; in every instance 

 they died infected, without any modification of the symptoms or the 

 length of the incubation period, showing that these drugs had no 

 action at all upon the virus. 



Thus germicides, the most active tonics that I could find for the 

 animal experimented upon, together with drugs acting specifically 

 upon the spinal cord, were one and all inert materially to inhibit or 

 modify the result of infection ; but though none may be found that 

 can do so in the rabbit, this, however, may not apply to other species 

 very differently constituted, and it appears to me that of the many 

 asserted cases of cure or recovery from this disease both in man and 

 the dog, many of which rest apparently upon the best authority, some 

 at least are authentic. 



To take one such instance in man, the case of Offenberg which he 

 treated by curari (reported in the 'Med. Times and Gazette,' 6th 



* ' On Canine Madness,' by William Youatt, M.R.C.V.S., London, 1830. 

 VOL. XLIII. G 



