
          Hydrophobia —I promised yesterday to resume
to-day the subject of mad dogs, but if I had not,
the case which I have just read from the Philadelphia 
papers, and which we republish this
evening, would render some remarks, at this
time, on this awful and alarming topic, highly
interesting and pertinent. This case is attested
by two eminent physicians, and they add that
hydrophobia “is without the hope of a relief
from medicine”—“we know of no cure for hydrophobia.” 
This is a frank confession, and I
have scarcely a doubt, accords with the truth—
It is a disease, which, when once having arrived
at that pass so as to show itself by the usual symptoms 
in the system, baffles equally the skill of the
most learned physician and the nostrums of the
boldest empyrick. But, fortunately, it is not so
rapid in its progress, but that it may be arrested
and entirely counteracted and prevented, if proper
means are seasonably resorted to, duly administered, 
and faithfully persisted in. These means
nature has provided, in the plant called the
Scullcap, which grows almost every where in abundance 
in our country. It is not, however,
every species of the plant bearing this name that
will answer; but that particular one called in
Latin scutellaria latiflora, or side-bearing flower,
and not that one called scutellaria galericulata,
or helmet-shaped. The former of these is efficacious 
in preventing this incurable disease, the
latter is not. A mistake in taking one for the
other has sometimes produced fatal effects, and
brought the plant into discredit, at the eastward.
Some time since, there was published, in the
Medical Repository, [hexade 3, vol. 2, No. 3,]
an account of this plant, with an engraving ;
but there was an error, in the text, as to the species; 
nor was the engraving, which was after
the right sort, sufficiently accurate to correct
the mistake. Of the superior merits of this invaluable 
plant in the bite of a mad dog, as evinced 
in particular instances, I have not room here
to give any more than a general outline. Dr. Vandeveer 
left it on record, that in upwards of three
hundred cases, in which he seasonably administered
it, the success was complete without a 
failure. Lewis asserted that he had met with
the like success in upwards of one hundred
cases, of three or four of which I was myself
(happening to be in the county of West-Chester
at the time) an eye-witness. Dr. Thatcher, in
his valuable Dispensary, speaking of it, says
“ Should this plant ultimately prove a successful
remedy for a disease so truly deplorable in its
nature and so destructive in its consequences,
no encomiums can surpass its merit, even if recorded
in letters of gold.”

“The scutellaria is perennial, of which there
are numerous species indigenous to the United
States. The plant is found in great abundance
on the banks and borders of ponds ; flowering in
July or August.  The stem is square, branched
and attains the height of from one to three feet.
The leaves are opposite, narrow pointed or narrow 
foot stalks. The racemes are axillary and
lateral, bearing small violet colored blossoms intermixed 
with small leaves. The calix is hooded
or helmet formed, from whenfice originated the
genera name of scull-rap or Scutellaria.” This,
however, is a description of the genera not the
species.

The eye will soon detect the material distinctions,
while at the same time it will see a general resemblance.

The following is the manner in which Dr.
Vandeveer and Mr. Lewis prepared and administered 
the remedy, as we find in Thatcher’s
Dispensary :

“ The leaves should be gathered when in
flower, (July or August,) carefully dried, and
reduced to a fine powder, and put into bottles,
well corked, for use. When a person has received 
a bite by a mad dog, he must take of a
strong infusion of the leaves or powder, a gill
four times a day, every other day. The day it
is omitted, he must take a spoonful of the flower
of sulphur, in the morning, fasting, and at bedtime, 
in new milk, and apply the pounded green
herb to the wound every two hours, continuing
the prescription for three weeks. For cattle or
horses, three times the quantity of each.”

Thus I have in the shortest and plainest manner 
I am able, treated of a subject, now particularly, 
in the highest decree interesting to the- I
community at large. And I have done so in the
full and unshaken belief in the virtue of the
plant here recommended to the public, and perfectly 
aware of the deep responsibility I assume
in thus trying to persuade the patient and the
physician to put life itself upon the issue. With
the late benevolent Robert Bowne, whose letters
on this subject are published at length in the
Medical Repository and in Thatcher’s Dispensary, 
I can with great truth declare, that my confidence 
in the virtue of this herb is so great, that,
if bitten myself, I would trust my life to it, rather 
than to the skill of all the physicians in this
city.

Impressed with the deep importance it is of
to the public, that these different species should
not to be confounded, we have procured an engraving 
to be made bv Anderson of each of the
plants. Here follows an engraving of the true
plant.

[printed engraving of plant]

The following represents the spurious one

[printed engraving of plant]
        