CON SU LT A r I ()NS—11A BIKS. 
701 
glaring and bowing its knees, &c.—it was killed. In another 
week another cow was seized in a similar manner, and its fate was 
similar; another fortnight has now elapsed, but no more of the 
cows have been seized. General - has asked my opinion 
about the dog; but my knowledge of canine madness does not 
enable me to decide, nor do I know any thing of this disease in the 
cow. 
I am the medical attendant upon the family at -; and 
having read your Lectures in the Lancet many years ago with much 
interest and pleasure, I came to the conclusion that you would not 
be offended at my asking your assistance, to enable me to answer 
the General’s question. 
Believe me to remain 
Respectfully your’s, 
-, Surgeon. 
To Professor Youatt, &c. &c. 
London University. 
My dear Sir,—I am just recovering from severe illness—my 
friends, and myself for awhile, thought that it would have been a 
fatal one; and I have been wandering about in search of my pris¬ 
tine health. I mention this as an excuse for my seeming neglect. 
I fear that the case which you send is too plain. The dog wafi 
rabid. Y^our omission of the period Avhen they were bitten renders 
it impossible for me to say any thing satisfactory respecting the 
cows. The period of incubation of the poison is usually from two 
to four months. I have known it appear as early as the second 
week and as late as the twentieth after the bite. 
The question of destroying these cows must depend on the time 
that has elapsed since the mtlee, the condition in which they now 
are, and the value which the owner places upon them. The poison 
lies inert, and utterl}^ harmless, for an uncertain and sometimes a 
long period; and it is not until the constitutional affection develops 
itself that the meat is at all injured. 
On another point I must speak with more caution. Y^ou tell me 
that the Captain’s hands were licked by this dog, after the disease 
had become developed upon the animal. Were his hands sound 
at that time? were they perfectly so? Has he sufficient recollection 
of the matter to speak decidedly on this point] Here is the pain¬ 
ful part of your duty. The poison may rest inert during many a 
month; in I'act, until some exciting circumstance or unknown cause 
may give it fatal energy, and the victim is irrecoverably destroyed. 
Y"ou must here be left to the exercise of your own judgment; 
and 1 can fully appreciate all the horrible notions and fears that 
pass in your mincl. Pardon anoth(!r presumption. When, so late 
VOL. XIII. 5 a 
