170 



RABIES 



sands. Take, to begin with, four reports from 

 Athens, Palermo, Rio, and Paris. It is to be noted 

 that the patients, alike at Paris and at other 

 Institutes, are divided into three classes : — 



"A. Bitten by animals proved to have been 

 rabid by the development of rabies in other animals 

 inoculated from them. 



" B. Bitten by animals proved to have been rabid 

 by dissection of their bodies by veterinary surgeons. 



" C. Bitten by animals suspected to have been 

 rabid." 



It is to be noted also, as a fact proved beyond 

 doubt, that the full benefit of the treatment is not 

 obtained at once ; the highest degree of immunity is 

 reached about a fortnight after the discontinuance 

 of the treatment. Those few cases, therefore, where 

 hydrophobia has occurred, not only in spite of treat- 

 ment, but within a fortnight of the last day of treat- 

 ment, are counted as cases where the treatment 

 came too late. 



Finally, what was the risk from the bite of a rabid 

 animal, in the days before 1885 ? It is a matter of 

 guess-work. One writer, and one only, guessed it 

 at 5 per cent. ; another guessed it at 55, and a third 

 came to the safe conclusion that it was " somewhere 

 between these limits." Leblanc, who is probably 

 the best guide, put it at 16 ; and Pasteur himself 

 put it between 15 and 20. But suppose it were 

 only 10 ; that, before Pasteur, out of every 100 men 

 bitten by rabid animals,. 90 would escape and only 

 10 would die of hydrophobia ; then take this fact, 



