EXPERIMENTS ON RABIES. 
465 
was it successful. It lulled the irritability of the dog ; it not un- 
frequeiitly sent him to sleep; but he died completely exhausted, 
and almost paralytic. 
Mr. Caesar Hawkins had the kindness to try the effect of the 
South American Guaco on a dog in my hospital. The lower jaw 
was dependent, the tongue black, the breathing hoarse and grat¬ 
ing, and the true rabid howl was heard almost every minute. 
About half an ounce of the expressed juice of the Guaco was 
given in the afternoon, and a second dose in the evening, with 
some slight relief of the symptoms; but, after the third dose, on 
the following morning, the change was most extraordinary. The 
dog recovered to a very considerable degree the use of the jaw, 
and could not only masticate the food when put into his mouth, 
but could with tolerable ease pick it from the floor. The howl 
ceased, and the restlessness disappeared. We were surprised 
and pleased, and almost began to think that the grand specific 
was at length discovered. The medicine was continued during 
the day; but on the next morning the dog was found breathing 
slowly, with every limb paralyzed, and, presently afterwards, he 
died. 
The Guaco was afterwards given, at St. Thomas’s Hospital, to 
a young man evidently hydrophobous. He experienced some 
slight and temporary relief after every dose; but he died. 
About the same time Mr. Hawkins tried the Veratrum Seva- 
dilla, regarded in South America as a specific in the cure of 
rabies. We administered four times the quantity that was said 
to cure the disease, but not the slightest effect was produced. 
Mr. Morgan having kindly given me some of the Ticunas 
poison, I inoculated a rabid dog with it, in order to see what 
effect one poison might have in weakening or destroying another. 
Although not ferocious, the animal had been in a considerable 
state of excitation. An incision through the integument was 
made on the inside of the arm, and a pointed bit of wood that 
had been dipped in the poison was rubbed on the exposed fasciae. 
No effect being produced, the same bit of wood was introduced 
into an incision more deeply made. In less than two minutes 
the dog was more tranquil, and at the expiration of five minutes 
he dropped motionless, the only indication of life being a regular 
and not laborious breathing. In this state he continued eight 
hours, when I left him for the night. On the following morning 
I found him dead. 
Sir Anthony Carlisle gave me the opportunity of testing 
another South American cure for hydrophobia, prepared from a 
plant of the cactus family. It produced a considerable degree 
of temporary excitement, I might almost say insanity ; but this 
VO I,. XI. B Q 
