Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-06-19
l0uatt'S Cure for HydrOphObia.

\ celebrated London physician, in letter
to professional friend, at Leeds, says
= Every wear produces an intallibe nostrunl
for hydrophobia. The malady, neverthe-
less. exists in all its unknown mystery ana
terror. Except that it Is believed to be
purely disease of the nervous system.
nothing Is known of the virus or its laws OF
propa CATION: 80 have long dismissed keep
ing list Of remedies for the developed dis
ease Yet You will be astonished if | add
that believe 1t never. or almost never, need
be taken even from the maddest of dogs.
About twenty-five years ago. more or less,
| was sent for TO see the present Lord
l.. then fine. healthy lad. who 1t 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 the late Lord land
| was called in TO ascertain the fact of the
dog being. or not being mad ." Now on
this point | did not consider myself any
authority. and 80 sent for Sir Benjamin.
Brodie. who. agreeing with me a 10 the
probable madness of the dog nevertheless
desired that the late Mr. Ouatt, the veteri-
nary surgeon and most remarkable man,
should be appealed to- He at once pro-
nounced the dog as iaboring under HYDRO
phobia, and, turning TO me. added. = if you
will come to me in five davs to our dog hos
pital. we can di>sect the animal" | did
50. and found the dog dead. and Youatt
busy in opening the carcass. | naturally
was shy III touching the animal. and asked
him if he were not afraid. No. he an
swered, / have repeatedly been bitten by
most undoubted patentS-(t there were seye-
raj in cribs there then, which | saw alive)
and | never have any fear. | asked
him how often he had been bitten; he told
me eight times and then he called his as
sstant porter and asked him how often he
had been bitten he. I think, owned to at
least eight and | believe ten, undoubted
introductions of the virus and, be ii re-
membered. that the attacks or bites were
all on the hands OF these men, so could not
be wiped off by any intervening garment.
ouatt then 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 | am
bitten. | have remedy sure and at hand,
and no fear of the disease supervening
The actual cautery, the caustic potass and
excision, are, in my opinion, unsafe and
| liable to fail. The nitrate of silver chases
| the poison into the very capillarles, and
neutralizes it. Since | have known this
always use it for any bite of dog, sound
or not, and am at rest. The above was
stated in some blue book some thirty years
ago, by Youatt Brodie and [ acted on
it, and made poor Lord Is lips, pal
ate and throat as black as though thor
ough-bred mad terrier; and he, if you ever
see him Will tell you this tale.
The poison of hydrophobia remains Ia
tent on an average six weeks the part
heals over. but there is pimple or wound
more or less irritable it then becomes
painful, and the germ, whatever it is, be
comes ripe for dissemination into the sys
tenn. and then all hope is gone. Neverthe
less, between the time of the bite and th'
activity of the wound previous to dissent
nation. the caustic or nitrate of silver is
sure preventive; after that, it is as use
less as all the other means. The best mod
of application of the nitrate of silver Is b
introducing it solidly into the wound.
, healed over, the cicatrix should be rubbe
and causticated away entirely"