The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-09
THE Possibility OF CURING HYDRO
I'ITOBTf.

sou. in his essay on the subject. winch We ia''y
printed. speaks hopefully 81 several measures
Of prevention. hut sees no prospect oI cure
The physician that cur"s he sayr. Is dcal''
II would he idle to dis"sss amy curative nous
uros after the peculiar symptoms oi inc uls'"Ho
have once set in
This dsrouragng view may be correct. but II
| il pleasant to know that II has not NJ yet h'ch
| adopted by all qualified invc stigators. Not Only
| are there physicians competent 10 give Nau-
able opinion on the subject. who think it likely
| that cure for hydrophobia will one day he dis
| covered but there are those who assert that the
| disease has actually been cured. in at lenst two
| cnscs, already. Since the publication oi Sir
| Thomas Watson's paper. two articles on hydro
| phobia have been contributed to Nature by a
writer evidently thoroughly acquainted with all
that is known concerning this terrible malay.
| lie refers to these alleged cures. They are said
to have boon effected by introducing into the
| blood the South American arrow poison known
as curarc or woofarn This drug parayz's all
tho voluntary muscles without. 1t Is believed,
destroying sensibity. It acts upon the respira-
tory muscles also. to such an extent rs TO de-
| stroy life, unless artificial respiration can bc
maintained and this makes ita administration
very dangerous. Its value In hydrophoba is
| attributed 10 its action in alaying the spasns.
II these can be prevented and the patient be kept
| from sufrocatng, life may he continued long
enough TO L., the organic poison Of the disease
pass Of or until IL shall have lost its power for
evil.
| The writer In Nature doubts whether tho two
cases said 10 have been cured by curare were
| certainly cases Of hydrophobia especially rs he
has himself seen il Administered in one case of
that disease without any effect at ALL lie admits
the beneficial action Of the drug on the spas
| modic symptoms, but he docs not think that
| the epaAns are the Immediate or the remote
| cause Of DEATH The curative agent which he
| hopes and believes will yet be dis .overed must
| net directly upon the poison to which the disease
| IL due In the mean time the awful suffering
| characteristic Of hydrophobia can bc alleviatrd
without risk Of haatening death by the use Of
bromide Of potassium, the calabar bean and
| choral Indeed entire relief from pain is said
To have been Afforded by choral.
| physoogists have nscertained that the por-
ton Of the brain known as the medulla oblon.
| gata is peculiarly affected in hy,lrophobia. II
assumes a morbid condition of intense rxcita-
| billy. and this extends by reflex action to the
| spinal cord. The nervous phenomena In several
| importaut respects resrnbo those produced by
| poisoning with strychnine. In that case. how
| ever death IL caused by the mechanical effect
| OF the commissions. while In hydrophobia II re-
suits from a more general bu, unknown action
| Of the disease poison ON the whole organism
So at lennt says our authority He points out
also. that while most other zymotic diseases.
| Al Ia rs small pox scarlet fever AMI meas lee.
tend toward recovery rather than toward death
il is otherwise W ia hydrophobia
Notwithstand NJ all tins the outlook il more
hopeful than thu resent epidemic in Great
Britain and the apprehension il has aroused
hay. led many persons to suppose. The British
Medical Association has Just instituted "A fresh
series OF researches on the disease in all its
various phases, through committee including
among liz members 80 prominent Psychologist
as DR.. 4. Lander Brunton. tho editor OF the
Practitioner. and So distinguished u physician
as Professor Burdon- Sanderson. 1t can hardly
bc doubted that their lahors will have some
valuable practical results and the knowledge
already acquired warrants IN" expectation that
These r'sulis may oe in the direction OF cure ~
well ~ prevention.
The discussion which rabies and hydropho-
oia have Lately undcrgon" has served 10 give
people correct notions on several matters OF a
s"oc deai OF Importance IL If We'll To know Tor
example That u rabid dog does not. as most per-
sons suppose shun water; on the contrary the
animal IL APT to drink eagerly. The term by
dr"phopia lwh''r-iearl Is strictly applicable
ohy 10 IN" uis'hse IN man, since IN MS case the
slsnt or even mo SOUND oil water eAcitrs the
u'uIos' t'rIor' IL ~ re''ssufhs 10 learn On hlsh
"u'hofi'S t""' e''r'"'hiS majority OF we per
SONS VINO are u'i'h ny Undoubtedly MAD dogs
h''ei'hel'es escape hydrophouia rms iact
h""eNer'a iorus no arguh"n, Tor heeiectlhsthe
DIST pr'Nch'Ne hle'h"is' Ih"se are Wkhowi'
euseu 10 pe inc eNcisiVh OF 'he wounded part
""'n p'"''V""'r' "no' o',.r "'sc' '"Ieiui anu
'ohpiele '"u'cf'N'ioh' Inc various writers
asree III RECOMMENDING 'h"' asuspecteu uot
"nich n"s o"'oh any ono suoulu ne KEPT awe
until the question OF its madness Is definitely
settled instead of being killed before there can
| H., .r, ,,r,.i,,, ,,ha,lo 4, No. It'll - +.
Wv "n' 0''"'n'' N"o'n'I 1t ""S r"oiu or not
In this way much fearful anxiety would be re.
lieve,i and doubtless number of those d.ath,
| nth ..l.;..,... NJ. - =. -
WIN" p"S a"'""9 "e'ii"" 9"''iS 1" IN "ppro
ease itself could have been prevented 10y III,
adoption oil THIS precautIon. The writer OF tn,
present article has good reason to appreciate IL
value. Many years ago he was severely bitter
|