554 
INVESTIGATIONS CONCERNING HYDROPHOBIA. 
From a series of returns made upon this subject, from 
different departments in France, during several years, and 
epitomised by Dr. Tardien, in the 4 Annales d’Hygiene 
Publique/ we glean some interesting information upon the 
following points : — 
I. The species of animal hi) which the hydrophobia was com¬ 
municated .—Out of a total of 228 cases in which reference 
was made to this point, 188 were stated to have been pro¬ 
duced by the bite of a dog, 13 by that of a cat, 26 of a wolf, 
and 1 by the bite of a fox. In two cases in which the bite of 
a cat produced the disease, one animal is reported to have 
become rabid in consequence of an extensive burn, another 
owing to its having been robbed of its young. These cases 
are of considerable interest, as they tend to resolve the still 
doubtful question of the spontaneous development of hydro¬ 
phobia in other species of animals than the canine. 
II. The season of the year at which this disorder is most fre¬ 
quently developed. —This circumstance was noted in 181 cases, 
110 of which occurred during the hot seasons of the year, 
71 only during the cold. There is, doubtless, a marked 
difference in favour of the months in which the temperature 
is most elevated, but it does not remain a less constant fact 
that no season is really opposed to the development of hydro¬ 
phobia, or can render its effects less formidable. 
III. The average number of persons who escaped the malady 
after being bitten. —On this point we have the records of 198 
cases of persons who were bitten, in many instances by the 
same animal; of these, 112 were subsequently seized with 
hydrophobia, whilst the remaining 86 experienced no ill- 
effects. We need scarcely remark that numerous ad¬ 
ventitious circumstances, such as the interposition of an 
article of clothing to which the saliva of the rabid animal 
might adhere, the state of the patient’s mind or health after 
the injury, &c., would considerably influence the results in 
this particular. 
IV. The length of the stage of incubation. —In a large 
majority of cases this was not more than a few weeks. Out 
of 147 cases referred to, the period of incubation was under 
a month in 26, more than a month but under three months 
in 93 cases, whilst in the remainder the length of time 
occupied was from six to twelve months. The incubatory 
period appeared shorter in very young persons than at any 
other age. 
