VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
656 
they had been submitted to long maceration. Some veterinarians 
having been of opinion that this alteration of structure was the 
result of the action of cantharides introduced into the system by 
means of blisters, M. Barthelemy, who doubted the truth of this, 
and had seen the same alteration in horses to which no blisters 
had been applied, made the following experiments. 
On the chests and bellies of six horses destined to be 
slaughtered, he applied much more extensive blisters than those 
which are usually employed in cases of pneumonia. To increase 
the activity of the plaster, from two to four drachms of powdered 
cantharides were used, and the application was renewed every 
and even twice in the day, from eight to fifteen days, 
er time than a blister w ould be employed in any chest 
The application produced a perfect and extensive blister, but 
the kidneys did not seem to be in the slightest degree affected. 
Not content with this result, the Professor submitted the other 
three horses to the action of cantharides taken internally. From 
tw o to four drachms w ere administered daily, from ten to twenty 
days, without the kidneys presenting any alteration of appear¬ 
ance or structure, nor during the life of the animals were there 
any symptoms of inflammation of the kidneys or the bladder. 
The ox seems to bear without injury very powerful doses of 
cantharides. In the department of Gers it is usual to give from 
three to five drachms of powdered cantharides to bring on the 
periodical oestrum. The cantharides are usually infused in white 
wine. 
morning, 
or a long 
affection. 
VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY, Oct. 6, 1830. 
Mr . John Field, Jun. in the Chair . 
Mr. Dewdiurst's paper on Rabies, contained in the present 
number of The Veterinarian, was read. 
Mr. Field thought that the observations of Mr. Dewhurst were 
valuable, as bearing on that most important consideration, whe¬ 
ther rabies could occur without inoculation from a rabid animal. 
Mr. Slocombe recollected the case of a bitch that had been 
tied up for twelve months, and then was let loose on a very hot 
day. She followed her master, who was on horseback, half a 
mile, and then suddenly left him, and bit several dogs, most of 
w hich were destroyed. According- to the account of the gentle¬ 
man and his servants, no dog could have had access to her. One 
of the dogs which she bit remained in the neighbourhood, and 
apparently well, ten days, and then disappeared. One of the 
puppies that w as at the time with her, three months old, died 
four nights afterwards, and, as he thought, mad, for it knocked 
