Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-05
a FRIoHTFUL REMEDY.
Fortunes That Were Once an Vogue {
Cure Hydrophobia.


Cure Hydrophobia.
Probably the most frightful remedy
sver invented by ignorant physicians is
that described in Boerhave's "Aphor-
lsms'' book written in 1755-for the
cure of hydrophobia. 1t provides:
al That Immediately after the poi
son is communicated the whole affected
place, together with the surrounding,
be Immediately scarified very deep and
blood be drawn to a great quantity by
means of large glasses laid over the
scariied parts, or the same be burned
de with red hot iron; then the part
be made to suppurate for long while
by means of such things as ulcerate by
their constant corrosiveness. In the
meantime, from the beginning of the
cure to the end, foment the parts with
pickle made of bay salt and vinegar,
and these things ought to be continued
till over the sixth month from the first
accident.
SO. The clothes and other things
which may have been touched with the
poison, or that the mad animal has
breathed upon, ought to be laid aside
and carefully avoided.
SO. Immediately after the infection
is known he ought to be thrown and
hurried into great rights, using even
violent threats, to be thrown unawares
into the sea or river, to be held some
time under water, and dipped again.
repeating this several times with tho
same circumstances For that this sub
mersion cures no other ways than by
the prodigious disturbance it occasions
in the spirits and not by the quality of
the salt water, is too well known from
what has happened to those poor
wretches, who in helping to hold pa
tient in this case under water was hit
by him, for they have not escaped the
highest degree of hydrophobia, not
withstanding they would fall to swim
ming and to ducking in salt water for
many hours from the moment they felt
themselves bit, thinking thereby to
prevent all harm. Let him afterward
be purged often and very strongly with
rhubarb, agarick and the juice of elder
bark.
~. Let him be made to sweat every
morning, fasting by giving him some
spiced vinegar with baysalt and plenty
of hot water.
SIS. Let him wash and battle daily
his hands and feet, his head and mouth,
and swim often.
SO. Let him frequently drink cold
water, and as often vomit it up again;
after which let what he drinks be acid
ulated or made sharp. Let his diet be
moist light, loosening, and often, in
such a quantity until he vomits it up
again, forbearing the use of too many
aromatics, wines, heating means, and
also too great motions of the body or
passions of the mind.
'But the cure of the disease already
present ought to be attempted, and
chiefly in the first stage, and the begin
ming of the second more, because the
least neglect is attended with very
fatal event. 1t looks the most promis-
ing, and it is confirmed with few ex-
amples that the following method is
likely to succeed best and ought to be
taken:
And as this method is built upon the
nature of the illness in all it's circum-
stances, and upon all the reasonable
rules of art, so it seems nothing is more
destructive than to murder, as it Were
and tease these poor sufferers with
sharp heatings, drying medicines, and
by their roughness very much affecting
the nerves, all which are poisoned in
this case, where the patients are al
ready dried up by their very disease.
And, again, nothing is more cruel than
neglecting all means whatever to aban-
don these poor wretches from the begin
ming or to stitle them between two
beds. Nor ought we yet to despair of
finding out, one time or other, pecu-
liar antidote for this poison, seeing that
we have succeeded in poisons thought
formerly as destructive"
After reading this one is tempted to
be thankful tor the Pasteur treatment
whether it does any good or not.-Chi-
cago Times