246 
EDITORIAL. 
common objects of attack by rabid dogs, and the instances are 
not rare of the infliction of widespread loss by the destruction of 
valuable animals following the uncontrolled and promiscuous as¬ 
sault upon his fellow quadrupeds by a stray hydrophobic 
canine. 
A simple form of treatment as a prophylactic measure is pro¬ 
posed by Professor Galtier in the intra-venous inoculation of a 
small quantity—from 1 to cubic centimetres—of a pure solu¬ 
tion of rabid virus. This discovery of the Professor was pub¬ 
lished in the “ Comptes Rendus of the Academy of Sciences in 
Paris,” in 1881, but it failed to receive the attention it deserved. 
It seems to have been condemned on scientific grounds as in some 
way unreliable, by reason of some errors of manipulation in the 
reported experiments. 
Since that period, however, a change of sentiment has oc¬ 
curred. More attention has been bestowed on methods and 
greater caution exercised in respect to details, with the effect of 
securing: assured and uniform results—some of the eminent men 
connected with the Pasteur Institute being among the investiga¬ 
tors—and to-day the prophylaxy of rabid wounds , at least in the 
larger and smaller ruminants , by intra-venous injection , is a fact 
established and accepted. 
As such an operation not only does not communicate hydro¬ 
phobia to these animals, but on the contrary gives them immu¬ 
nity from the disease, the application of this harmless operation 
in places where large numbers of animals might be exposed could 
not be considered a wise measure, even when no wound had 
been inflicted, and as a preventive means, of the nature of a vac¬ 
cination, it is a question which it is scarcely the time or yet in 
order to consider. But as to its application when wounds have 
already been received, it can no longer be ignored or avoided by 
the veterinarian. As its efficacy survives for at least a period of 
twenty-four hours after the inoculation, there is nearly always 
sufficient time for the necessary preparation. 
The treatment is simple. It consists in the direct introduc¬ 
tion, by means of the Pravat syringe, of from 1 to 1^, and even 
2 cubic centimetres of a solution of pure rabid virus, made with 
