402 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR. 
one, two, or three vapour-baths till they take effect, about six 
hours apart. It may be a hard fight for life, but we have 
never heard of failure when similar means have been used. 
GENERAL DISEASES. 
HYDROPHOBIA (RaBIEs). 
It is a blessing that this distressing and dangerous disease 
is unknown in the colonies: it is generally communicated by 
the bite of a rabid animal—mostly the dog. The poison 1s 
absorbed into the circulation in a shorter or longer time. 
The symptoms of the disease—inflammation and pain—take 
place at the wound. Spasms of the muscles, a dread of 
liquids, especially water, are manifest. These give the disease 
its name. In severe cases the wretched sufferer will try to 
bite even his own friends, because he is now mad. His 
saliva, coming in contact with a wound, would communicate 
the poison. It sometimes happens that a number of persons 
will be bitten by a mad dog, and only one or two will 
develop the disease; this is no doubt on account of the saliva 
being wiped off in the passage of the teeth through the cloth 
when bitten. The wound should be washed by syringing out 
with warm water, then a solution of caustic potash; then 
apply the yeast and elm poultice, and give a course of medicine 
as soon as possible, and one every day till danger 1s past. 
Give a strong decoction of the bark of the roots of the ash 
tree and skullcap ; drink freely of it, a quart aday.. A French 
doctor was cured himself, and he cured 80 others by the 
vapour-bath alone. If the dread of water should prevent the 
administration of medicine, give by the rectum, the antispas- 
