346 
APPENDIX.-D. 
ing' account, and it is worthy of note, only as auxiliary to 
the more active means of excision and cauterization. 
“ I had long known that a family of the name of Webb, liv¬ 
ing in the neighborhood of Watford, prepared and sold what is 
called a drink , as a remedy against rabies generally. The many 
assurances I had received relative to its efficacy, supported by 
facts apparently authentic and conclusive, gave me reason to 
hope that it really possessed some preventive properties; but, 
till the year 1807, I had not embraced any opportunity of put 
ting its qualities to the test of experiment. About that time 
madness proving very prevalent, and the public curiosity be¬ 
coming very much excited on the subject, my attention was 
awakened to the importance of such a remedy, even if it had 
only some moderate pretensions. To endeavor, therefore, to 
ascertain the grounds on which the reputation of this remedy 
stood, I went to Watford, and prosecuted my inquiries with 
such success, that, from one of the two brothers who had dis¬ 
pensed it, I gained the original recipe, which had been before 
verified on oath before a magistrate. The public anxiety was 
then such, that, united with the knowledge that I had particu¬ 
larly directed my attention to the subject, it would have enabled 
me to realize a very considerable sum, had I chosen to keep 
the recipe a secret, and vended the compound; but no such 
thought entered my mind. Humanity required that it should 
be universally known ; and the day after I returned from Wat¬ 
ford I communicated to the public at large, by various chan¬ 
nels, the recipe, with all I could learn at that time of its opera¬ 
tion, &c.; the original communication may be seen in full in 
the Medical Review for December, 1807. The following me¬ 
thod of preparing it is an improvement on the original for¬ 
mula; the proportion and mode of administration agree with 
the country instructions:— 
Take of the fresh leaves of the tree-box, - - 2 ounces. 
Of the fresh leaves of rue, - - - - 2 ounces. 
Of sage, - - half an ounce. 
