Report of a case of Hydrophobia, suecessfully treated by venesection. By Assistant-Surgeon Gibson, H. M. 69th Reg. Isabel, the wife of Serjeant M'Daniel, of his Majesty's 80th Regiment, aged 22, was taken ill this evening (19th September,) about five o'clock, complaining of head-ache and pain at the Scrobiculus Cordis,-about an hour afterwards, refused to take her tea and showed a degree of horror at the sight of it: her husband then offered her some spirits and water, which she also refused, and looked at it with dread; was immediately seized with a violent convulsive fit, in consequence of which I was sent for, and found her labouring under strong muscular spasmodic action of the whole body, her countenance expressive of a degree of furor I had never before witnessed, her eyeballs were turgid and glistened with a vacant stare, attempting to bite the attendants and every thing that came in her way. While she was in this state, some officious person threw a cup-full of cold water in her face which aggravated the spasms very much: and increased my suspicion of the disease being Hydrophobia. This fit continued about an hour, when she became a little quiet, I desired some water to be offered her, at which she shuddered, yet attempted to swallow and succeeded with great difficulty in taking about a table spoonful, which produced a repetition of the spasmodic fit considerably more violent than the former, and attended with a most dreadful sense of suffocation; during this paroxysm the saliva collected in increased quantities and was discharged. As the violence of the muscular action subsided, she cried loudly in a peculiar tone of voice, sighed deeply and applied her hand to her breast expressive of severe pain. Pulse one hundred and twelve in a minute and small. Having now a thorough conviction of the real nature of the disease, and having predetermined in the event of a case of Hydrophobia ever coming under my charge to follow the practice successfully adopted by Mr. Tymon, of the 22d Light Dragoons, and afterwards by Dr. Shoolbred of Calcutta; I opened a vein in the right arm which I allowed to bleed until the pulse at the wrist ceased, the strong convulsive muscular action also ceased, her countenance became placid and the turgidity of her eyeballs, diminished. Forty-eight ounces of blood were extracted, no deliquium supervened-the patient being kept in the horizontal position; the blood was extracted from a large orifice, but it exhibited no buffy coat, nor was it cupped. Pulse shortly after the bleeding ninety-six. Rec. Tinct. Opii gtt. L. Aq. Menth. Pipp. oz. I; mix; to be taken immediately. 19th, 10 P.M.-Succeeded in swallowing the draught and shortly afterwards at her own request had two cups full of tea which she swallowed with avidity and without much difficulty, has great aversion to strangers, and in her placid intervals does not recognise those she formerly knew, has also great aversion to the admission of light into the chamber, 11 P.M.-Has taken, with a great effort two cups-full more of tea, which brought on a slight spasmodic action of the muscles of the throat and was succeeded by vomiting. Pulse eighty. Adplect. Emp: Mel: Visicat: cervice. Being now sensible, has informed her husband that she was bitten by a dog supposed to be mad, about ten weeks ago at St. Thomas's Mount. Anodyne to be repeated. 20th, 6 A.M.-Has not had a return of the convulsive paroxysm during the night, drank water twice but vomited immediately afterwards; is now much dejected and melancholy, is extremely sensible to all external impressions, sighs frequently and appeals to the scrobiculus cordis as the seat of great sumed a more favourable expression: pain. has retained the enema. 10 A.M.-It being necessary to raise her in bed, Syncope was induced until she was again put in the horizontal position, still expresses the greatest dread of water, and can take her drink only from a tea pot (the sight of it producing a recurrence of the spasms) succeeded at each time by vomiting, &c. slight return of the convulsive muscular action of the throat, her eyes are slightly turgid, but her countenance is still placid. Pulse one hundred in a minute. Sumant. Extract: Opii grs. II. 7 P. M.-Since my last visit has had occasional slight returns of the spasmodic fits, brought on by the last exciting cause, particularly by seeing some of her relations and children: has swallowed tea in the same manner and with the same difficulty as before, but was not followed by vomiting. Has had rather a severe fit since I entered the room, caused by seeing some water accidentally. Pulse seventy-two, skin moist, no stool since yesterday morning. Sumat Pill: Calomel grs. VIII. Reptr: Extract Opii grs. ij. 21st,-10 A. M. Mr. Steddy, garrison surgeon, whose absence from the cantonment these two days, I very much regretted, visited the patient with me at this hour, and coincided with me in opinion with respect to the nature of the disease and approved of the plan of treatment adopted. She has enjoyed good rest during the night, but is still extremely irritable, has the greatest aversion to the sight of a mirror and shuddered at the idea of drinking water, the sight of which produced a recurrence of the spasms. Pulse one hundred, heat of surface increased, tongue white. No alvine evacuation since she has been taken ill. Habt: Stat. Enema. com. et. Capt: Pil: Alo: Comp: No. ij. 12 A.M.-The spasms have been frequent and severe since last report, excited by her repeated attempts to satiate her thirst; in consultation with Mr. Steddy, it was determined to repeat the bleeding; I accordingly opened another vein and extracted twenty-four ounces of blood. Pulse immediately after the bleeding ninety-six, she became extremely weak, her eyeballs less turgid, and her features altogether as 6 P.M.-Has not had a return of the spasms since the last bleeding. No alvine evacuation. Repetant. Pilulæ et Enema.com. 9 P.M.-Has had a very severe fit, caused by the administration of the Clyster, but is again perfectly sensible and calm. Pulse seventy-two. Rec. Extract. Opii. gr. ij. Gum. Camph. Scr: I M. ft. Bolus Stat. Sumendus. 11 P.M.-No return of the paroxysm, is at present in a sound sleep. Pulse and heat of surface natural. 22d, 6. A. M.-Has enjoyed good rest-she has drank freely out of a tea cup, and can look at a mirror without experiencing any disagreeable sensations: the turgidity of her eyes entirely gone and her countenance is calm. One copious evacuation from the clyster. Pulse and heat of surface natural, quietness to be observed and all irritations removed. 12 A.M.-No return of the spasms, although she has drank tea out of a cup twice, pain at the scrobiculis cordis much abated: the extreme sensibility which has marked the disease throughout, very much diminished-she having now no dreadful apprehensions of her fate, aversion to strangers, or the admission of light: has even no dread of water which I brought to her, but said it was still disagreeable to immerse her hand in it. 9 P.M.-Continues tranquil-no alvine evacuation since the operation of the clyster-Pulse and heat of surface continue natural--Rept. Pil Aloe. Comp. No. ij. 23d, 10 A. M.-Had troublesome dreams during the first part of the night, towards morning enjoyed good rest. Has had her hands washed in water this morning without any reluctance; the other symptoms of the disease have entirely yielded: leaving her very much debilitated. 24, 10 A.M.-Amendment progressive. 25,-Discontinued my attendance: having the pleasure of observing my patient recovering her strength rapidly. REMARKS.-I think there cannot exist a single doubt of this being a well marked instance of Hydrophobia; and that the happy result is to be attributed to the early and cold use of the lancet, seems equally doubtless. When the subject of it was apprehensive of instant death, she informed her husband that she was bitten by a dog supposed to be mad, as stated in the report communicated at my third visit: I think it proper however to mention that for reasons which I cannot define, she now, after her perfect recovery says, she does not recollect that the dog bit her, but that it leaped on her, worried her, and tore the bottom part of her gown. She had several small sores on her leg at the time; and on examination I have discovered a scratch on her left heel which she cannot account for: it is slightly swelled and inflamed. I have to regret the want of professional evidence from the commencement of the disease: yet I think the concurring opinion of Mr. Steddy who witnessed every symptom of Hydrophobia in this case, should strengthen that of a much younger and less experienced Surgeon. JAMES GIBSON, Assist. Surg. His Majesty's 69th Regt. Poonamalli, 26th Sept. 1816. WORMING A DOG. Allow me to suggest to any member of Parliament the means of rendering an essential service to mankind. In speaking of Hydrophobia, I will not describe its horrors; the remedy has been sought in vain: the preventive is neglected, or overlooked. It is well known, that a dog that has been wormed never bites when attacked with this disorder; but dies under its paroxysms quiet and inocuous. Is it not then obvious, that a law to enforce the worming of all dogs would ensure the human species from even the dread of this fatal malady, and probably eradicate the disease from the canine species? The operation is simple; every village farrier can perform it; the law would be short, and easily understood, inflicting a penalty on those who neglected it, and the destruction of the dog unwormed. Should any Member of Parliament, attracted by these observations, desire to be better informed of the correctness of the assertion, that a dog that has been wormed never bites when under the influence of this disorder, with a VOL. X. view of enforcing, by a Legislative Act, the preventive of this dreadful evil; I beg leave to advise a more particular communication on the subject with Dr. Jenner, that enlightened friend of humanity. Is it necessary to add, that worming a dog is only the extracting of a ligament like a worm from under the tongue. [Gent. Mag. METHOD OF PRESERVING POTATOES. The usual mode at present practised for endeavouring to preserve potatoes, is to leave them, after digging, exposed to the sun and air, until they are dry. This exposure generally causes them to have a bitter taste, and it may be remarked, that potatoes are never so sweet to the palate as when cooked immediately after digging. I find that when potatoes are left in large heaps or pits in the ground, that a fermentation takes place, which destroys the sweet flavour of the potatoes. In order to prevent that fermentation, and to preserve them from losing the original fine and pleasant flavour, my plan is (and which experience proves to me to have the desired effect), to have them packed in casks as they are digged from the ground, and to have the casks, when the potatoes are piled in them, filled up with sand or earth, taking care that it is done as speedily as possible, and that all vacant spaces in the cask are filled up by the earth or sand. The cask thus packed holds as many potatoes as it would was no earth or sand used in the packing; and as the vacant spaces of the cask of potatoes so packed are filled, the air is totally excluded, and cannot act on the potatoes, and consequently no fermentation can take place. I sailed from New-York to St. Bartholomew's, and brought with me two hundred barrels of potatoes, packed in the above manner. On my arrival at the island, I found, as I expected, that the potatoes had preserved all their original sweetness of flavour; in fact as good as when first dug, having undergone no fermentation, nor in the slightest degree affected by the bilge or close air of the ship. Some barrels of the potatoes I sold there, and at the neighbouring islands, for four dollars per bushel, and at the same time potatoes taken out in bulk without packing, and others that were brought there 65 packed in casks which had not been filled up in earth, sold only for one dollar per bushel, they being injured in the passage by the bilged air and ferinentation, being bitter and bad, whilst mine were perfectly sweet and dry as when dug. What remained, I shipped from St. Bartholomew's to Jamaica, where they arrived in equal good condition, and sold at a higher price than they had brought at the former island. Some of these casks of potatoes were put into a cool cellar by the purchaser at Jamaica, and on examining them when I was leaving the island, two months after, I found that they had, in a very small degree, sprouted, but that all their original flavour was preserved. P. S. Carrots may be preserved during the winter months in the same Europ. Mag. manner. WOMAN. Mr. Ledyard, the celebrated pedestrian traveller, gives the following admirable portrait of benevolence in the fair-sex: 6 merchant was going through a slavemarket one day, and happened to see a broker holding a boy by the ear for sale, and calling out, who will purchase a youth accomplished, sensible, learned, and faithful, for one hundred dirhums? Why, my good sir,' said the merchant, I suspect you must be crazy, for if your boy possess the qualities you mention, he is worth a thousand dirhums.' 'O,' said the broker, 'you see him shining and take him for silver, but if you were acquainted with his failing, you would probably find him copper.' Pray what is his failing' said the raerchant, and what do you think the cause of it?' He tells every year,' said the broker, a great lie and a little lie, and each of these I consider as a very serious evil.' 'Pooh, pooh!' said the merchant, 'I look upon this as a mere trifle.' He accordingly purchased the boy, and took him into his service, and finding him expert and skilful in duty, placed him at the head of all his servants. But it happened some time after, that the merchant, accompanied by some of his friends, went out to his garden, and sent the boy home about sunset to bring him his ass, but the boy, as soon as he approached his master's house, rent his clothes, and threw dust upon his head, and exclaimed, 'O alas, alas, my master! the lord of my bounty!' The merchant's wife concluded, from his appearance, that some misfortune had happened to him, and said, alas, boy, what is the meaning of this outcry? Ah!' replied he, the roof of the house has fallen in upon my master and crushed him to pieces with all the other merchants.' The wives of the merchants, who happened to be invited there by the lady of the house, as soon as they heard the report of the slave, beat their faces in despair, and began to run towards the garden, but the boy got before them, and entered it, tearing his clothes like a frantic person, and throwing dust on his head, in the same manner as he had done before the women. The merchants, surprised at his appearance, asked the cause of his distress. Ah! I believe,' he replied, ‘a spark of fire escaped from the hands of one of the maid-servants, and has set fire to your house, and I do not think there is a single child that has not been burned to death, nay not one even of the maid-servants, nor one of your The Large Lie and the Little Lie.-A wives.' The merchants, hearing this, "I have always remarked, that woman in all countries, are civil, obliging, tender, and humane; that they are inclined to be gay and cheerful, timorous and modest; and that they do not hesitate, like men, to perform a generous action. Not haughty, nor arrogant, nor supercilious, they are full of courtesy, and fond of society, more liable, in general, to err than men; but in general also more virtuous, and performing more good actions than them. To a woman, whether civilized or savage, I never addressed myself in the language of decency and friendship, without receiving a decent and friendly answer: with man it has often been otherwise. In wandering over the barren hills of inhospitable Denmark, through honest Sweden, and frozen Lapland, rude and churlish Finland, unprincipled Russia, and the widespreading regions of the wandering Tartar; if hungry, cold, dry, wet, or sick, the women have ever been friendly to me, uniformly so: and to add to this virtue, so worthy the appellation of benevolence, these actions have been performed in so free and so kind a manner, that if I was dry, I drank the sweetest draught; and if hungry, I ate the coarseest morsel with a double relish." ib. 6 ran out, all distracted: one weeping for his sister and wife, the other for the daughter of his relation; but, when they got about half way home, both parties met on the road, and every one saw their friend safe, and discovered that the whole was a trick played upon them by the lying valet. What has tempted you,' said his master, to this act? 'Do you not know,' replied the boy, 'that I was bound to tell you every year a great lie and a little one?' 'Well,' said the merchant, and under what class must I place the present? Is this the large lie or the little one?' 'O this is the little lie,' replied the boy; the large one you shall have by and by!' This little lie,' said the merchant, will answer my purpose. I now give you your liberty; so set off, and find some other person of more consequence to practise your large lie upon.' Expedition to the Congo.-We are sorry to state the death of captain Campbell, the able and zealous commander of the other unfortunate, but well-meant endeavour to explore the interior of Africa. A letter from Sierra Leone of June 30, states, that intelligence of the loss had arrived at that place a few days before. Captain Campbell was reported to have died of the effects of disappointment. The second naval officer in command, who had been left at Sierra Leone, on account of ill-health, but was recovered, and on his way to join the expedition, returned to Sierra Leone, on hearing of captain Campbell's death, to consult the governor as to the propriety of persevering or desisting from further attempts; the case is reported to be referred home to lord Bathurst, ib. New Discoveries in Egypt.-To the end of time Egypt must continue to excite the amazement and research of travellers. Additional discoveries of ancient works have recently been made. We are led to expect shortly from Mr. Salt, our consul-general in that country, a more correct transcript of the inscription on the column of Dioclesian (commonly called that of Pompey) than has hitherto appeared; and we understand that the same ardent traveller, assisted by a foreign officer of the name of Cariglio, has not only succeeded in transporting from Thebes very interesting fragments of Egyptian sculpture, but has also discovered a passage cut in the solid rock, 400 feet in length, under the great pyramid, with chambers at the lower extremity, and a communication with the mysterious well which has hitherto puzzled all our antiquaries and travellers. Excavations have also been effected among the sepulchral structures in the neighbourhood upon the Desert; and, among other curiosities, a small temple, and fine granite tablet, have been discovered between the lion's paws of the Sphinx. ib. Volcanic Eruptions -Accounts are stated to have been received from Batavia of the 15th of March, which state, among other things, that the mountain Idjing, twenty-four leagues from Banjoewangie, emitted fire in the month of January, particularly on the 23d and 24th, when the eruptions were very violent; the surrounding country was covered with ashes. In many places there were great inundations, so that the waters rose fourteen feet above the usual level; the damage done was very great, and occasioned a scarcity of provisions. Subsequent accounts from that district, of 18th March, state that the mountain still continued to smoke, and that daily inundations took place, which destroyed many rice fields; the fields which the water has left are covered with mud and ashes; the usual water courses were stopped up by the ashes, or large trees thrown from the mountain, so that it was impossible to plant the rice fields. The air was obscured by smoke and light ashes, so that the sun and moon appeared of the colour of blood. The health of the inhabitants is injured by the bad water, and numbers of cattle die. The rivers every where burst their banks, and in many places rose as high as fourteen feet above their ordinary level. The affrighted inhabitants fled from all parts towards the shore and town of Banjoewangie, but were stopped at every step, in consequence of the roads being rendered impassable by the inundations and the destruction of the bridges. The subsequent news is somewhat more assuring; the mountain has ceased to emit any more fire; but the atmosphere continues darkened with clouds of ashes and smoke, nor have the inundations yet abated. The |