ON RABIES CANINA. 87 ,' 
propagated nineteen times out of twenty, by the cur and the 
lurcher in the country, and the fighting' dog in town. 
Then let a tax be laid on every useless dog; and doubly or 
trebly heavier than on the sporting dog. Let no dog but the 
shepherd’s be exempted from the tax, unless, perhaps, the tiuck 
dog; and his owner should be subject to double penalty it the 
animal be found loose, or used for fighting.. 
If a person be unfortunately bitten %y a rabid dog, what 
preventive means are to be adopted ? Some have recommended 
a ligature above the bitten part. My opinion of this may be 
imagined from the statement I have hazarded, that the vnus 
lies ^in the wound inert until it has assimilated to itself other 
matter and increased in quantity, or by its continued presence 
irritated the neighbouring parts, and disposed them to become 
affected 
The cupping-glass has been strongly recommended by Dr. 
Barry. I have some little objection to it. I am not sure that 
the virus, forced from the texture with w hich it lies in contact, by 
the rush of blood from the substance beneath, may not inocu¬ 
late or become entangled with other parts of the wound. After 
excision of the part it may be useful: connected with the caustic 
it can be of no avail. 
Excision of the part is the mode of prevention generally 
adopted by the human surgeon; and it would seem to be most 
judicious practice. If the virus is not received into the ciicula- 
tion, but lies dormant in the wound for a considerable period, 
the disease cannot supervene if the inoculated part be destroyed. 
Excision of the part has however frequently failed. Not a 
year passes without many lamentable instances of it. It has 
occurred in the practice of the most eminent surgeon; and it 
seems scarcely, or not at all, to impeach the skill of the operator. 
How do we account for this ? 1 he knife may penetrate the 
deep and tortuous recess of the wound, in which the- virus is 
lodged, and then its track will be empoisoned. Or it the inci¬ 
sion be freely made round the wound, and does not penetiate 
into it, the blood will follow the knife; a portion of it w ill enter 
into the wound inflicted by the dog* it will come in contact with 
the virus; it will be contaminated ; it will overflow that cavity ; 
it will be received into the new incision, and it will carry with it 
the seeds of disease and death. 
Aware of this, many practitioners use the caustic after the 
knife. Every portion of the new wound is submitted to its in¬ 
fluence. Has the question never occured to them, if the caustic 
be necessary to give security to the operation by excision, might 
not the knife have been spared, and the caustic alone used? 
