595 
COMMUNICATED RABIES NOT CONTAGIOUS. 
By M. Augustin Capello, of Rome. 
In the “ Archives Generales de Medecine,” July 1834, there 
is an analysis of two treatises on rabies by this gentleman, in 
which he maintains that rabies, after its first transmission from 
one animal to another, and without an exception so far as the genus 
cards is concerned, loses its venomous property, ceases to be a 
contagious disease, and cannot be farther communicated. He 
produces several facts in supposed confirmation of this. 
Case I.—In the district of Caserano, near Tivoli, a dog, af¬ 
fected with spontaneous rabies, bit a young man named Domi¬ 
nique Giaco, 24 years old. A few drops of blood escaped from 
the wound, which healed, and he seemed to be in perfect health. 
An ox had been bitten at the same time, and the dog was lost 
sight of. Three days after the bite, the ox exhibited symptoms 
of rabies ; he bit several animals of his ow r n and other species, 
and was at length shot. None of these animals became rabid. 
The disease of the ox so alarmed the young man that had been 
bitten at the same time, that, notwithstanding he seemed to be 
in good health, he determined to submit to a course of treat¬ 
ment. Twelve leeches were applied to the part, and lotions of 
hydro-chlorique acid were applied four times in the day, according 
to the method of Wendelstadt. The actual cautery was also 
applied, which enlarged the wound to such an extent that it did 
not afterwards heal. 
Four months passed, and it was thought that all danger was 
over, when he became melancholy, and was continually weej. 
ing. Castor oil was given to him, combined with calomel,* four- 
teen leeches were applied to the anus, and a pound of blood was 
drawn from the left arm. His melancholy and apprehension 
rapidly increased. They administered to him by force three grains 
of the root of the belladonna, every three hours, and continued this 
during three days without any good effect. The edges of the wound 
were become fungous, and powder of cantharides was applied. 
The disease continued to proceed : his aversion for food, and 
drink, and, at intervals, for every thing around him, increased. 
In this miserable state he was taken to the hospital, and there 
strapped to his bed on account of the fever and delirium under 
which he laboured. He discharged abundance of spumy saliva. 
It was not possible to make him swallow any kind of food or 
drink. In some moments of calmness he was bled three times, 
and the blood was suffered to run until he fainted. The symp¬ 
toms became more aggravated—the patient longed for death: 
