OBSERVATIONS ON RABIES. 
629 
treatment, have so fully been considered by Mr. Youatt, that I 
do not feel myself justified in occupying* your attention with a 
description of them in detail, particularly for the two following* 
reasons:—First, I conceive that they must he all known to you, 
from a perusal of this gentleman’s pamphlet, and which is 
highly deserving of your attention. And, secondly, that I might 
perhaps be charged with plagiarism, a circumstance I would 
wish to avoid; but I shall cursorily allude to some of them as 1 
proceed. 
L T nfortunately the cause of rabies is as yet too obscure for us 
to found any solid theory on which we can ground any perfect 
plan of treatment. We cannot, from all our past information, but 
acknowledge that its seat is in the respiratory system of nerves, 
and this is proved by the symptoms which take place ; that the 
morbid state of the system is created by an inoculation of the 
virus upon an abraded or wounded surface ; and that this has 
its residence in the saliva of the animal by w hom the disease 
was communicated. 
Now* allow ing all this, and which is fully borne by past obser¬ 
vations, here let me ask, does this point out the original cause of 
the malady? I say, no; and with all due deference to Mr. 
Youatt, I have come to the following conclusions:— 
First .—That sometimes it occurs spontaneously, without 
inoculation. 
Secondly .—That it may be confounded with inflammatory dis¬ 
eases, particularly of the viscera. 
Thirdly .—That it may arise from a non-gratification of the 
passions, particularly sexual intercourse. 
Our worthy secretary inquires, in his remarks, whether it ever 
occurs spontaneously ; and if I recollect aright, he does not be¬ 
lieve it does ever take place. But in this 1 cannot coincide for 
several reasons, inasmuch as the relation of one or tw o cases may 
point out more information than bare suppositions. An old lady 
kept, for the preservation of her domicile, a small terrier dog, 
which was placed in a coal cellar at the bottom of the house in 
the area, w here he was scarcely ever relieved from his imprison¬ 
ment, for a period of near five years. In all probability, from some 
E rimary disorder of the digestive organs, severe symptoms arose, 
earing every mark of pure rabies, and in this state he was 
destroyed. On my calling the next day, accidentally, to pay her a 
visit, having been in the habit of attending her, and being in¬ 
formed of what had occurred, I requested leave to examine the 
dog. It was sent to me, and was examined by myself and my 
friend Dr. Heydeloff of Edinburgh, who at that period w as in 
