New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12
A Reputed Remedy for HydrOphobia.

A Reputed Remedy for HydrOphobia'
An alleged preventive of hydrophobia,
which has for many years enjoyed popular
fame as a secret nOstruM in Sussex, Eng
land, is published in the British Medical
Journal by Mr.. Prince, a surgeon OF that
ilk, who, having witnessed number OF ap-
parentlv successful results from it's admin
istration, both in men and beasts, was in
duced to purchase the formula from its
possessor. Hewrites:
"The several ingredients are as follows:
A small handful OF tree-bOx, a small hand
full of toad flax, three hands OF fetid he!le-
bore or setterwert, small handful OF prlm-
rose roots. These are to he boiled in
Quart of new milk down to pint. The
decoction ia then to be strained and. when
cool, any scum is to be removed. The fol-
lowing are then to be added: Gascoigne
powder three drachms, and two drachms
each of jalap and carbonate OF iron. have
ascertained that the handful each of box
and toad-hax means that you are to take
about three or four inches of the terminal
branches, with the leaves on, of the box
tree, and as much of the stem of the toad
fax as possesses leaves and flowers. This
ounce, and of toad-fax six drachms. Three
hands of the hellebore mean three entire
leaves with the axis, which, when dried,
weigh about two scruples. The primrose
roots, l was informed, were not essential.
and had been omitted for some years.
would suggest, however, that in place
thereof the ground liverwOrt should be
substituted, which alone was held in much
repute two centuries ago. In a
more tangible from the formula should
appear as follows:
"R. Buxi sempervirentis, OF. |; antir-
rhini linaria, dr.. 6; hellebori fGtidi, &c. 2;
lichenis cinerei terrestris. dr.. 3. Powder
the dry, or bruise the green herbs in an
iron mortar; put them into quart Of cold
milk and boil down to pint; strain while
hot; skim when nearly cold, and then add
pulv. gascoigni, DIR. 3; pulv. jalapa, ferri
carbon, sing, DR.. 2. M.-One-third part of
this mixture is to be taken on three cOnsec-
utive mornings, fasting"
The gascOigne powder mentioned above
is known to druggists as mixture Of ''cer-
tain proportions of crabs claws, hartshOrn
shavings and amber" The dose prescribed
is intended for human patients, the lower
animals requiring three times as much. Mr..
Prince refers to twenty reported cases of
persons bitten by mad dogs" eighteen Of
whom, being thus treated escaped evil re.
suits. while the other two, refusing to take
the remedy, "both died of hydrophobia;"
and as more valid testimony, he adds:
"Some years since number of cows and
twenty pigs were bitten by mad dog in
the parishes of Uckfeld and Horsted. All
these animals were successfully treated by
this medicine, with the exception of one of
the pigs, to which it was not given, be-
cause there was no evidence to show that
it had been bitten: but shortly afterward
this animal died mad-the only one out of
the twenty"
Negative testimony is of course uncer-
tain, especially in relation to the proven
ton of contagion, since there are no means
of deciding that the persons or beasts es-
Gaping the disease would have contracted
it in the absence of the prophylactic; and
We publish this reputed specific
as matter of present interest we are some.
what skeptical as to it's unfailing efficacy.
Of its alleged curative properties after the
disease has set in we have said nothing, for
the reason that draught of third of
pint could hardly be administered to a |
patient incapable of swallowing even his
own saliva. The question of it's prevent
tive virtue, however. might be settled by
noculating sufficient number of animals
with undOubted hydrophobc virus, and
giving or withholding the antidote in an
equal number of instances; and the applica-
lion of this test we world recommend to
some expert veterinarian.