THE POISON RECEIVED. 
391 
Whatever be the modus operandij the parts in contact with the 
virus at length respond to the stimulus applied. The cicatrix 
generally bec^ins to be painful, and inflammation spreads around 
It. It has already been stated, that the diligent licking of some 
part is an early and frequent symptom of rabies in the dog. 
This itching or pain is of frequent occurrence in the human 
being ; and the circumstance would have been oftener placed 
upon record had inquiry been made respecting it. The absorb* 
ents are now called into more powerful action. They begin to 
attack even the virus. A portion of the morbific matter is taken 
up and carried into the circulation. The poison now pervading 
the frame possesses the property of assimilating some of the 
secretions to its own nature—or that poison, peculiarly deter¬ 
mined to one of the secretions, alters the character of it—enve¬ 
noms it—and gives it the power of propagating the disease. 
This, in fact, is but the history of many an animal poison. In 
variola and the vaccine disease, the poison is determined to the 
skin—in glanders, to the Schneiderian membrane—and in farcy, 
to the superficial absorbents. These parts of the frame become 
the depots of the poison, and through their medium it may be 
communicated to other beings. So it is with the salivary glands 
of the rabid animal. In them it is formed, or to them it is deter¬ 
mined ; and from them, and them alone, it is communicated to 
other animals. The flesh of the rabid ox has again and again 
been eaten. Certain portions of every rabid animal were con¬ 
sidered as valuable prophylactics, or sure preventives. 
Some of these diseases run their course and exhaust them¬ 
selves. Covvpox, and farcy, in many instances, have this cha¬ 
racter. Perhaps to a certain degree it may be affirmed of all 
of them. I have already stated that I have seen cases, which I 
could not mistake, in which the symptoms of labies were, one 
after another, developed—the dog was plainly and undeniably 
rabid, and I had given him up as lost: but, after a certain period, 
they began to be less distinct—they gradually disappeared, and 
the animal returned to perfect health. This may have formed 
one ground of belief in the power of certain medicines, and, 
most assuredly, it gives encouragement to perseverance in the use 
of remedial measures. If there are cases, and cases there are, 
in which the disease yielded to the unassisted powers of nature, 
virus remains dormant in the })art where it is deposited by the tooth of the 
rabid animal, until a certain state of babit renders the nerves in its vicinity 
susceptible of its influence; and this being communicated, a state of action 
is begun in these nerves, and extended by the respiratory nerves, which 
induce the whole train of symptoms constituting the disease. He doubts 
whether there ever is absorption. 
