The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1871-06-15
Ga d SfOnes FOr Sale. .


ina d Stones For Sale"
Mr.. EDITOR Several 'smad
dogs" have been killed in the coun-
ty within the past month and seve-
raj children have been bitten by
them. No sooner does this fact
become known than we find the an
nouncement in a Pulaski journal
/ of ''AIad Stones for Sale" accom-
panied by grave assertions of their
wonderful efficacy as a preventive
agent.
AS a medical man, having the
public veal at heart and desiring to
propagate correct principles re-
garding the maladies which aflict
our common race, as also to refute
the many errors which pertain in
reference to disease and its varied
remedies, desire to say, Through
the columns of your excellent pa
peri that there IS no cure for hydro
plo6ia, and only one preventive, to-
wit: the prompt excision of the
entire wound inflicted by the rabid
animal. I say animal, because all
animals capable of inficting awound
with the teeth can impart it to the
human subject, as readily as the
dog. The virus or specific poison
which produces this terribly fatal
disease, exists in the saliva Of the
rabid animal, and is usually con-
veyed into the system by and
through a wound inflicted by the
teeth. If however, the saliva Of
an animal, Tin the primary stage of
the disease and before the we'll
known symptoms are present.
should come in contact with an
abraded surface, as by the licking
Of the hand upon which there is a
cut or other slight wound, the indi-
vidual isin as much danger of by
drophobia as though he were bitten
by the animal. Hence the necessi-
ty of cautioning children against
playing with dogs or cats during
the prevalence of this epidemic.
The clothing often protects a per-
son from hydrophobia by absorbing
or wiping from the teeth the saliva,
before they penetrate the flesh, so
that persons thus bitten generally
escape unframed.
The mad stone is applied to this
class of cases as well as to others,
and should the individual escape
the disease his good fortune is at
tributed by the very creduIous pub
lie to some inappreciable an mex
plicable virtue inherent in the mad
stone; when really the exemption
is due to the fact that the virus did
not enter the system. The fact
that numbers die to whom the stone
is applied is no refutation of its as
serted virtues. Like January's can
Ger cure or Brownlow's infallible
'King of Rheumatism" the fail
ures are carefully concealed while
the seeming cures are heralded forth
as marvellous beyond conception.
The asserted efficacy of the mad
stone is more shocking to the we'll
informed physician than is the re-
puted benefit derived from carrying
buckeye in the pantaloons pock-
ct in Piles. In the latter case the
mind may operate through the alb
sorbent system in a manner to re-
move gradually a well organized |
hemorrh0idal tumOr. In the for
mer the virus, being a specific poi
son, can in no case be controlled
by the mental operations. There
is only one hope for a person, into
whose system, the virus has been
introduced, and as before stated, it |
consists in the removal of the
wounded part by the knife, and the
sooner this is done the better.
When the wound is so located as
to render exeision impracticable, /
then the application of a constant |
stream of warm water, thorough |
washing of the part and repeated |
cuppings may be of service as pre- /
ventiyes.
tits time that the superstitious
belief in the maidstone (originat-
ing in the days of astrology and |
were exposed. Hun
dreds of precious lives have been
sacrificed upon the altar of this
worse shan heather idea, worse I
say, because men living in this pre-
gressive age ought to know bette.
I do not mean to wound the feel
ings of those who are credulous
enough, without the show of rea-
son.. to believe in the too oft assert
cd virtues of the mad stone, to the
extent that they confide the well
being of their afflicted children to
its fostering care and hidden vir-
tues? only wish to warn them
against depending upon it, when
their dependent little ones have I
reason to fear this fearful disease.
c. G. ABERNATHY, NJ. ID.