HYDROPHOBIA IN SHEEP, 
319 
tion throughout. This latter had been ill five days, and the 
former six ; I was informed that the first that died did not 
live more than seven days. Thus far brings me to the 
medical treatment, which consisted in the administration of 
drinks by a person of the name of Wells, residing at Odell 
in this county, who is in the possession of a recipe purport- 
ing to possess the power, when properly compounded, of 
curing this malady. I do not know how long this family 
have been located at a public-house in the said village, 
which house is graced by a sign on which is depicted a mad 
dog, and a very rabid, raging-looking animal it is, executed, 
no doubt, by some village painter, possessing pre-Raphaelite 
ideas. The senior m.d. of this family lately died, but the 
mantle of Elijah has descended upon Elisha, our present 
subject. The derivation of this family is not definitively 
traceable ; possibly they claim descent from the ancient 
family of Psyelles. This person journeyed to Wootton and 
proffered his services to Mr. Whitworth, which were accepted. 
In due time this preparation, as effective and curative as the 
famous balsam of Fierabras, was administered to four rabid 
sheep, which subsequently died. Two more, the remainder 
of those bitten, but which as yet had not shown symptoms 
of rabies, were drenched three mornings consecutively. Why 
it should be three I know not, unless there’s luck in odd 
numbers. These were afterwards attacked, and died also. 
After this (un?) successful commencement, he (Wells) advised 
the owner — for reasons too obvious to mention — to have the 
whole flock drenched, including the shepherd and, to “make 
assurance doubly sure,” the worthy proprietor himself! — 
which advice was acted upon and fully carried out. No 
more sheep died after this wholesale treatment. 
Remarks. — Mr. Whitworth lost 17 sheep, Mr. Whitehouse 
18 ; the earliest period of attack was 19 days, the latest five 
weeks ; they lived after the attack set in from five to seven 
days. I am of opinion that there is nothing of a preventive, 
much less of a curative, nature in this drench. As, from the 
nature of the woolly covering of this animal, by the time 17 
or 18 had been bitten, the dog’s mouth would be pretty well 
free from saliva, the fact of 17 of Mr. Whitworth’s and 18 of 
Mr. Whitehouse’s becoming rabid, in a manner corroborates 
this opinion. Admiral Tremlett was written to, but there 
was no opportunity afforded of exhibiting his remedy. With 
some of the saliva from the living rabid sheep I inoculated 
three dogs, which I kept confined seven weeks; no symptoms 
of rabies manifesting itself in that time, they were destroyed 
— further negative evidence that the saliva of graminivorous 
