East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-09-20
Youratt's Cure For Hydrophobia.

n tciobruttu lIOhuOl plJSlcidI, III
a letter to a professional. friend at
Leeks, says: "Every year produces an
infallible nostrum for hydrophobia.
The malady nevertheless, exists in all
its unknown mystery and terror. Ex-
cept that it is to believed to be purely
desease of the nervous system, moth
ing is known of the virus or its laws
of propagation: so / have long dismiss
ed keeping list Of remedies for the
developed disease. "Yet you will be
astonihed if I'add. that / believe it
never, or almost never need to be ta-
ken even from the madest of dogs.
About twenty-five years ago, more or
less, / was sent for to see the present
Lord I.-,then fine, healthy lad,
who, it was said, had been licked, not
only over the lips, but within the
mouth, by little terrier, which was
found sitting on the sleeping lads
chest and dipping his tongue into his
masters open mouth. The demeanor
Of the dog alarmed tho late Lord L.
and / was called in to ascertain the
fact of tho dog being mad or not be-
ing mad.
Snow, on this point 1 did not con-
slider myself any authority, and so
sent for Sir BENJAMIN Brodie, who,
thoug agreeing with me as to the
propable madness of the dog, never
theless desired that the late Mr.. You
att, the veterinary surgeon and a
most remarkable man should be ap-
pealed to. He at once pronounced
the dog as laboring under hydropho-
bin, and, turning to me, added. IF
you will come to me in five days at
our dog hospital, we can dissect the
animal. j did so, and found the dog
dead, and Youatt busy in opening the
carcase. L naturally was shy in
touching the animal, and asked if he
were not afraid. No he answered
| have repeatedly been bitten by most
undoubted patients-there were sew
eral in cribs there then, which i saw
aliye) and / never have any fear. /
asked how often he had been bitten.
ho told me eight times, and then he
called his assistance porter, and asked
him how often he had been bitten, he
think, owned to at least eight, and
/ believe ten, undoubted introductions
of the virus, and be it remembered,
that the attacks or bites were all on
the hands of these men, SO could not
be Wiped off by any intervening gar
ment.
Youatt told me that 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 I am bitten, l have remedy
sure at hand, and no fear Of the dis
ease supervening. The actual cautery
! tho canstic notnss and evcisinn. are
IN my opinion unsafe and liable to
fail. The nitrate Of silver chases the
poison into the very capillaIies and
nentrallses it. Since / have known
this l always use it to any bite of a
dog, sonnd or not, and l am at rest.
The above was in some blue book
abont thirty years ago, rby Youatt.
Brodie and acted on it, and mado
poor Goung Lord Us lips, palate
aud' throat as black as that of thor
oughbred mad terrier; and he, if you
ever see him, will tell you this tale.
The poison of hydrophbia remains la
tent on an everage 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, 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 of nitrate Of silver is sure
preventive, after that is as useless as
all the other means. The best mode
of application of the nitrates of silver
is by introducing it solidly into the
wound. 1t melts in equal quantity of
water. If already healed, the cicat-
rix should qe rubbed and causticated
away entirely"