The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-17 00:00:00

SUN.

The perusal of smile treatise on the bite of mad
dogs very much increased his ►iistress, add he
gave himself up for lost. in this state did hr•
continue for three years, continually and deeply
impressed with the idea that he should bite some
one or other of his friends, and entail on them
the dreadful calamities under which he was then
labouring. The certainty that this would be the
case was ever uppermost in his thoughts, pro-
ducing in him the utmost despair that is possible
for a human being to imagine. it was in this
stage of his disorder that a -physician from Lon-
don was consulted, in addition iu, and in presence
of, those before mentioned. lie confirmed, their
opinion, that the patient was suffering under Hy-
drophobia. To ascertain this, a glass of water
was brought, at the sight of which Mr. C. de-.
da'red that he was as much alarmed as if a.higL-
wayman had stood before him with a drawn
-sword, and was going to run him through. From
all appearances, therefore, they concluded, not
only that. Hydrophobia had taken place, .but
that it was very far advanced. Mr. C. himself
had but a very. confused idea of the word Hy-
drophobia, conceiving, that whenever it did take
place, it would act something like a two-edged
sword, and immediately deprive him of Ids. ex-
istence. When the physicians returned into the
room he inquired hoW the Hydrophobia would
act when it attacked the patient. They inform-
ed him it would produce a dread or fear of water,
which you seem to have on you, and added, that
if he would swallow a little, it would be much
in his favour. The physicians left him, and when
they were gone he reflected on their observations,
and began to conceive he had no dislike lo water ; ,
he sent for some, and found that he had no diffi-
culty in swallowing it. When his medical at-
tendants called the next day, he related the cir-
cumstance to them; they observed it was a very
favourable symptom, and if he could take liquid
frequently there would be no danger. Mr. C.
did take liquid frequently, and very speedily
recovered ; and he since often declared that his
recovery was owing to his being made completely
to understand the meaning of the word Hydro.'
phobia.
The painful sufferings of Mr. C. which he en-
dured uninterruptedly for the space of 3 years,
and his great partiality for dogs and sporting,
had induced him to pay. particular attention to
the disease of the canine species, and in no state
of madness in dogs could ha perceive„ they ever
refused water, or had any difficulty in swallow-
ing. He.declared it therefore to be his'firm opi-
nion, that dogs cannot convey any disease to the
human race ; he was further strengthened in this
opinion by his having been bitten since, at least
twenty times by wad dOgs, without its either'
producing mental or bodily complaint.
Mr. Grub, Lord Dartmouth's Game-keeper,'
living at Lewisham in Kent, has had the manage-
ment of dogs for 40 years, and has had six tied
up mad at is time, he declares they never refused
water, but would drink it to the last hour of
their existence. He has seen many of our do-
mestic animals bitten by marldogs, but, never one
to go mad from the bite. Whenever he hears of
a man having been bitten by a mad dog, he in-
forms him that the dog can convey no disease to
him, and to dispossess his mind from fear ; as
the disease is only a, mental affection ; and he
never knew man or beast affected with madness
from the bite of a mad dog.

The late Mr. Tristram Carpenter, at Dulwich,
was Game-keeper to the late Lord Thurlow, and
he informed me he had two of his•apprentices
bitten by a mad dog. They came to him and
said Jowler was mad, and had bitten them both
in the leg. He informed them they were more
mad. than the dog by going to him when he was
in pain. Their legs were dressed, in, the usual
way, and they found no inconvenience from it.
had a favourite hound bitch mad, and he tied
her up in an out-house adjoining the-pig-sty, in
the night_ she gnawed through into the pig-sty,
in which were-a sqw and 4, pigs, tie found. her in
the morning in fierce combat: with the:snw and
pigs, but. neither of them were affected, and he
declared he never saw man or beast,affected from
the bite of a mad, bog, and that:dogs have no
fear of water during Orli disease.
Dr. tluuter:re.lates a case " Where 2.1, persons
were bitten by a mad dog, atul only one of them
became affected with Hydrophobia." He was
neither the first nor the last bitten, nor wakhe
the most lacerated,
•think, it possible, nay,
most probable, that: this,. person was, hypochon-
driac. The Dr. in the same letter observes,
" little. more of this dise,ase is known that} was
a thousand years back; and if arts medieine,
had been given to these neople, we should- have
said we, had found a speci4, that strcerded in
curing twenty out of twenty,ore.
Various.have, been, ,and_ are thesspecifics.for,
:the. bite of a mad dog;; but: Epttaligibg gvntraliY.
they are without. effect, excepting as.producing
,confidence in the,patienVs.mittrl Itis upon this
• principle .that Sta.bathing has:.cured. thousands
The, Orinskirk
.medicine, and Dr. Cbbli's specific,
,equal numbers. T.heir, operation. cau only, be
'mental, because an analysis of these various re-
ynedies, proves their, nature to. he, tooilY diffe.
, rent, The Ormskirk seems to be, bole and, al,
10m. Dr. Cobb's cinnabar antl,mnsk. The :salt
iu. se.a.7l,..ater is muriatic ac,id..and soda.. Now,
there_ is no doubt that thousands, W,llolPveMeen
tnrfcl-• by such specifics were bitten by dogs
;really mad; but that mediciye, so.djssimilar:
their natures should have- the effect..ofodecntrtr
'posing. the supposed• virus,, secreted; by, • the:
,dog, is contrary to nature, reason, and science*
consequently the confidence of the. parient,in
the, rerne4,y,.innst have perforrnetlitie cure. And
1 we 'adopt this conclusion the mpfe, joptly, As this I

PRICE Srvgsrrrxer.

disease has baffled the art of all me,dical
r
Ltioners, acting according to medical rules. Myr..
corp., antimony, musk, and opium, have been
used in abundance. but withoot effect. . Ble,t4ling
has been used to great excess, also without ?Tea,
and patients have frequently died after copious
bleeding ; this circumstance has impressed the
minds of the ignorant, that a Doctor tiagi.,the
power of bleeding them to death, or eve,UOf
smothering them between feather beds— no-
tionsincreasing the intensity of apprehemOloP•
If such ideas could be eradicated, if would muclr
relieve the minds of the ignorant, when bitte4 by
mad dogs. I have always found in. every. to
and village throughout the kingdom, when COO.'
versingon this subject, some one declaring- that
there are living witnesses who could be produced
to prove such facts. In reply to these growl-
less fears the opinion of Sir ViclteryGibbsmight
he quoted, who has stated," that such casesitave
never occurred.; and who added, that whotygr
should be capable of such enormities, would be
found guilty of murder."
Dr. Vaughan has tried to inoculate a, dog
from a man in the last stage of Hydropho-
bia, which was supposed to have arisen
from the bite of a mad (log, but the Dr,'s
experiment did ,tot: succeed to produce dis-
ease in the dog.

There is nut an account of any animal having
communicated any disease to tyre dog, neverthe-
less the dog is supposed to be capable of com-
municating disease to all our domestic animals,
as well as to man. According to this hypothesis,
the dog is more highly distinguished (in this re-
spect) than even the human race.

That dogs are themselves subject to madness,
and that they can communicate it to their own
species, is agreed by all Medical Practitioners ;
but that dogs have the power of communicating
that disease to man, or any genus of animals is
erroneous. Facts can only be ascertained by
studying Nature with strict attention and minute
observation ; by so doing, we shall be- extricated
from that darkness into which all attempts at
curing this disease have hitherto plunged us.
In matt, doubt must he totally effaced from the
mind, for should one spark of doubt remain, and
fear resume the place of confidence, death in
general is inevitable. I have acted tip to. the
views of this paper with several patientl, Who
have been under my care,, and always with
success..

Some Practitoners have obsprved, that children
have been afflicted with. Hydrophobia, whercould
have had no fear.- In answer to this, we find
that whenever the body is exhausted by any dis-
ease, and the muscles necessary for swallowing
cannot perform their functions, the fluid returns
back by the nose, and pioduces a species of suf-
focation, and the patient has a, dread of its being
repeated. This often happens in the last stages
of low nervous fevers : but if the patient has been
bitten by a dog at, any period of their existence ;
so great is the "rage for attributing disease to
canine madness, that it is, at once attributed to
the bite of the animal. To say too that children
have no fear, is contrary to every day's occur-
rence. Self-preservation is one of the first prin-
ciples of our nature; in infancy we are. most
susceptible of the emotion. of fear, and the
distress and apprehension which; infantile suf-
ferings excite in those around the patient, were
alone sufficient, to occasion powerful emotions
of fear.

Experience• teaches. that it: is difficult-- to. find
even the best informed minds ft-Re. from, preju-
dice on this subject, and that it, is absolutely- im-
possible to arrive at truth in many. cases. Should
therefore, this-opinion, and: this, mode of treat-
ment be generally received, it would-ameliorate
the condition. of the• afflicted: In man, the dis-
ease which arises from the bite of►u.mad. dog, is,
in my opinion, purely mental, apprehension pro-
duces irritation, and-nervous excitement•deprives
the patient of sleep, deranges the• setretion,
generates disease, and in. such- a stateiof; appre-
hension, irritaliiJity, nes,vons..e.3critation, and de-
privation of. sleep,, death, becomes unavoidable.
The first advances towards a cure, would be
made by dispossessing, the patients mind of fear,
Ito transfuse into-his mind a confidence, that the
dog cannot communicate any- disease to• the hu-
man race.

I am of opinion, that the most, groundless pre-
judices exist regarding the effects,of canine mad-
ness, and that many unfounded inferenees-have
been drawn fjorn circumstances attending- cases
'which have been cited.
The mode of treatment which have recora-
,
mended cannot possibly, in driy, cue produce in-
,jury;: hut it a:ppeArs ti me, tliaL exctitinn,ol the
'part•of-the human frame. which thnting has,hitten,
.at onc.e, increases thatnprgrehension acid irritation
in the patient's mind, whiclt,occasion atttßat dis-
fleas.e, and terminates in death.:

if.a few Sheep, and Pigs,,aml.,oldaloset were
•fleept: in, a rhanner.congefriall to \ their:nature, and
if .they were to be inoculated: with the Siva of
mad dogs, I think the Saliya,;wonild,haventbeffect
'even on these animals, andlliat•ttre,result of such
experintents.would•set.thikinattreAting.qUektibn at
rest. Certainly as the- cpws.ticopowtv %awl*, no
greater calamityican.befal a human-being-than to
.be: bitten by•a:mad•dogr: on.th.e.cktirer-hgn4l the
dog is. one of the most ttsefuJoaniksagasictu*- ani-
mals subjected to.thee, dorninion, ankentaled to
the protection of man.

The, medical arld surgic,a niensgs,arezmakinz
great. adyaAces iu, hilprvvEgtv.4.; the. subject
ibefore us .is luferjor;to none iu,iwpprtap,Ce to
map k i n
not_che RQY9l..C.Ollege of PhysiCians,
apd,S,ufgeom, appoint,a,C.ommittee for itg,effec-
tual investigatioo ? X.