Mr. Smerdon, in the
Medical and Physical Journal
, March 1820, thus reasons:
"All the morbid poisons that require to lie dormant a certain time before their effects are manifested, pass into the system through the medium of the absorbents," (we somewhat differ from Mr. Smerdon here, but his reasoning is equally applicable to the nervous system,) "and if the absorbents are excited, their action is increased. I am satisfied that even in a venereal sore the application of a caustic, instead of destroying the disease, causes its rapid extension. Then," asks he, "if the virus on a small venereal sore is rendered more active by the caustic, is it not highly probable that the same law holds good with respect to the poison of rabies?"
The sooner the caustic is applied the better; but I should not hesitate to have recourse to it even after the constitution has become affected. It is
in the
Medico-Chirurgical Annals
of Altenburg (Sept. 1821), that two men were bitten by a rabid dog. One became hydrophobous and died; the other had evident symptoms of hydrophobia a few days afterwards. A surgeon excised the bitten part, and the disease disappeared. After a period of six days the symptoms returned. The wound was examined; considerable fungus was found sprouting from its bottom. This was extirpated. The hydrophobia symptoms were again removed, and the man did well. This is a most instructive case.
In