90 
ON RABIES CANINA. 
Trolliet relates a similar case. Several persons were bitten by 
a rabid wolf, and some of them died. The cicatrix in the arm of 
one man became inflamed, and gave him much pain. The caustic 
was freely applied, and no hydrophobic symptoms appeared. 
It is only, however, in the early stage of the disease, that we 
should be j ustified in destroying the part and torturing the pa¬ 
tient ; and if we proceeded to operation, that operation should be 
complete and severe, not only to eradicate all the virus, but by a 
new and violent irritation, to cause possibly a salutary metastasis. 
These then, gentlemen, are the grand preventives; viz., the 
knife and the caustic. Every surgeon must decide for himself re¬ 
specting their comparative value. I only ask, that they who may 
prefer the caustic, may no longer be exposed to so much gra¬ 
tuitous abuse. It is, however, some consolation, that this abuse 
has proceeded from those who had little experience. 
Dr. Measey, upon personal knowledge of one unfortunate case 
only, in which first the snake-stone and then the nitrate of silver 
was applied, and afterwards the blister ointment, and the wound 
kept open for several weeks, indulges himself in a tirade against 
the caustic. He conveniently forgets the vesicatory, and the sub¬ 
sequent stimulants, by which irritability was given to the part, and 
the mischief probably effected, and says, “ this proves the inef¬ 
ficacy of the application of caustics to the bitten partand he 
adds, “ that he is quite satisfied of their perfect inutility, and sur¬ 
prised how persons can torture their patients with them.’ 
Another gentleman of great talent states, that “ the knife timely 
applied, was never known to fail.” Have we not many accounts 
every year of the failure of the knife in the most skilful hands? 
Two years ago, two persons were bitten by a rabid dog in the 
neighbourhood of Ball’s Pond. One of them went to the most 
eminent surgeon in the metropolis. He was operated on, and he 
died hydrophobous. The other was sent to the humble writer of 
this paper. His was by far the deeper and the more lacerated 
wound. The caustic was employed : it was thrice repeated ; and 
the patient is living and well. 
I am not presumptuous enough to condemn the use of the scal¬ 
pel, although I much prefer the caustic, and would use the knife 
only fairly to get at the wound ; but I must find fault with thosej 
who, to carry a particular point, strangely exaggerate and mistake I 
The truth is, that both the knife and the caustic have failed. The' 
surgeon has not been able to get at and destroy every part, or ii 
the use of the knife re-inoculation has been produced by the ver> I 
operation. 
[To be continued.] 
