The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-25 00:00:00

HYDROPHOBIA.

The following letter has been addressed to the
Editor of the 7inzes :

" My attention having been drawn to the letter
of Mr. Pease, Vicar of Morden, Dorset, upon the
subject of hydrophobia, I venture to send you a
copy of a letter which you may possibly think of
sufficient value to justify its insertion in your
columns—more especially as the season is approach-
ing in which hydrophobia becomes more prevalent.
I am, &c., S.
" My dear Sir,--Every year produces au infallible
nostrum for hydrophobia. The malady neverthe-
less exists in all its unknown mystery and power,
except that it is believed to be purely a disease of
the nervous system. Nothing is known as to the
nature of the virus or its laws of propagation, so 1
have long dismissed keeping a list of remedies for
tile developed disease. You will be astonished if I
add that I believe it never, or almost never, need be
taken even from the maddest of dogs.

"About 25 years ago I was sent for to see a fine
healthy lad who, it was said, had been licked not
only over the lips, but within the mouth, by a little
terrier, which was found sitting on the sleeping
lad's chest, and dipping his tongue into his master's
open mouth. The demeanour of the dog alarmed
the father of the boy, and I was called to ascertain
the fact of the dog being or not being mad. Now,
on this point I did not consider myself any autho-
rity, and so sent for Sir Benjamin Brodie, who,
though agreeing with tne as to the probable madness
of the dog, nevertheless desired that the late
Mr. Youatt, the veterinary surgeon, and a most
remarkable man, should be appealed to. He at once
pronounced that the dog was labouring under hydro-
phobia, and turning to me added, If you will come
to me in five days at our dog hospital we can dissect
the animal.' I did so, and found the dog dead, and
Youatt busy in opening the carcass. I naturally
was shy in touching the animal, and asked if he was
not afraid. No,' he answered ; I have repeatedly
been bitten by my most undoubted patients (there
were several in cribs there which I saw alive),
and I never have any fear.' I asked how often he
had been bitten ; he told me eight times, and then
he called his assistant or porter, and asked Low
often he had been bitten. He, I think, owned to
eight, and, I believe, ten introductions of the virus,
and be it remembered that the attack or bite was
on the hands of these men, so could not be wiped
off by any intervening garment. Youatt then told
me his remedy was to allow the common nitrate
of silver, easily procurable, to filter into the
wound. It decomposes the saliva, and in doing
this destroys the virus. Whenever lam bitten I
have a remedy sure and at hand, and no fear of the
disease supervening. The actual cautery—the
caustic pota..ss —and excision are, in my opinion,
unsafe and liable to fail. The nitrate of silver
chases the poison into the very capillaries and neu-
tralises it. Since I have known this I always use
it to any bite of a dog, sound or not, and am at
rest.' The above was stated in some Blue-book
about thirty years ago by Youatt. Brodie and I
acted on it, and made our young patient's lips,
palate, and throat as black as that of his thorough-
bred mad terrier, and he, if ever you see him, will
tell you this tale.

" The poison of hydrophobia remains latent on
an average six weeks. The part heals over, but
there is a pimple or wound more or less irritable.
It then becomes painful, and the germ, whatever
it is, is ripe for dissemination into the system, and
then all hope is gone.
" Nevertheless, between the time of the bite and
the activity of the wound previous to dissemination
the caustic, or nitrate of silver, is a sure preventive ;
after that it is as useless as other means. The best
mode of application of the nitrate of silver is by in-
troducing it solidly into the wound. It melts in
an equal quantity of water. If already healed, the
cicatrix should be rubbed and causticated away
entirely."

TIIE LUXEMBOURG QUESTION.—The lndependance
Belye of the 23d inst. says :—" Still the same official silence
on the question of Luxembourg. There are no facts, no
news; nothing but impressions, which are founded rather
on instinct than on reason. Such is, to this hour, the
exact position of affairs. In short, there is little hope of
success from the mysterious efforts of diplomacy. People
have no faith in the disinterestedness of the Powers who
have been called in as mediators; and even at Berlin,
where an adjournment of the dec;sive crisis was believed
in a few days back, we have reason to think to-day that
they expect to see events rapidly hastening onward to a
fatal issue."

DEMOLITION OF HOUSES NEAR CLEMENT'S-INN.
—Yesterday morning a large number of workmen were set
to work for the removal of portions of the extensive and
complicated network of lanes, courts, and alleys covering
the area immediately to the east oi' Clement's-inn, for the
purposes of the new Palace of Justice ; and in a few days
Old and New Boswell-courts, Clement's-lane, and the ad-
jacent places, will all be gone. In Old Boswell-court the
" Post-office Directory" has hitherto been published. In
Clement's-lane, which was attacked yesterday morning,
stand some old houses, one of which is remarkable as the
scene of cute of those royal intrigues and misdeeds which
figure in the recollections of Charles IL and his Court. As
soon as this portion of the site of the new law courts is
cleared, the buildings to the west of Bell yard will be
attacked, and in a few weeks there will be a vast open
space, bounded by Temple-bar on the east, Clement's-inn
on the west, Lincoln's-inn on the north, and the tram on
the south.