A Letter from Dr. Robert James, of Lichfield, to Sir Hans Sloane, Bart. Pr. R. S. ContainingSome Experiments Made upon Mad Dogs with MercuryAuthor(s): Robert JamesSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 39 (1735 - 1736), pp. 244-250Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104015 .

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\ *44 3 leSer IF jQU and Cancer) <ys fars as the fnzallcr Dog.

h t tt SXt 8 49 36. ThiC .Arch quite di{ippear'd : Blc

at the fame times I faxv another broad er and brighter Arcll under Cago-

pea, fcsen or eight Ocgrces high.

Ill theOl?-fervations of OAoher 4tlz,and ill the !a!l, I am certain as to tlieTime of tlle CIock: So tlz-at if ir las llappen'd that others have obServed tile farne (Phowe, tlic Longitudes of PIaces may be derermined by them xvith greater iE:xadcneSs than by the Satellites of 7ginter, svhtcll I take tO be the- prin.cipalUte rlaat nzay be nzade oftheft()bEervations, efipeciaily- inwmaklng M:aps of the Northerr} Coun tric-s, where tlleSe Liglat; more fre lueutly occur.

t

V111. X LetZer from 75)r Robert James3 of LichfieLd3 to Sgr Hans Sleane, Bart. Pr A. S. coX/4iswi7g /a-meExpe-- zmefs anadZe zfpsts Mad Dogs qvitD

Merc;ury.

LicZvfeZd) ';Xge 39 173S.

s I R)

X N purruance of yonr ConlX1zailds, I here zive you 1 an S:LCCoUnt of .fiome Experi£metlts that have be>.l made UpOIl lAlaW Sags w-itsi A;ercer) vvltcl 1 apprehead l Uhave tne Reafon so lJelicx c is the

3 £t;oR

\ *44 3 leSer IF jQU and Cancer) <ys fars as the fnzallcr Dog.

h t tt SXt 8 49 36. ThiC .Arch quite di{ippear'd : Blc

at the fame times I faxv another broad er and brighter Arcll under Cago-

pea, fcsen or eight Ocgrces high.

Ill theOl?-fervations of OAoher 4tlz,and ill the !a!l, I am certain as to tlieTime of tlle CIock: So tlz-at if ir las llappen'd that others have obServed tile farne (Phowe, tlic Longitudes of PIaces may be derermined by them xvith greater iE:xadcneSs than by the Satellites of 7ginter, svhtcll I take tO be the- prin.cipalUte rlaat nzay be nzade oftheft()bEervations, efipeciaily- inwmaklng M:aps of the Northerr} Coun tric-s, where tlleSe Liglat; more fre lueutly occur.

t

V111. X LetZer from 75)r Robert James3 of LichfieLd3 to Sgr Hans Sleane, Bart. Pr A. S. coX/4iswi7g /a-meExpe-- zmefs anadZe zfpsts Mad Dogs qvitD

Merc;ury.

LicZvfeZd) ';Xge 39 173S.

s I R)

X N purruance of yonr ConlX1zailds, I here zive you 1 an S:LCCoUnt of .fiome Experi£metlts that have be>.l made UpOIl lAlaW Sags w-itsi A;ercer) vvltcl 1 apprehead l Uhave tne Reafon so lJelicx c is the

3 £t;oR

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[ 14t ] moflc tics9tual T>reRervxtive agail§,and perhaps evea a Cure for the Hydrophabia.

Altout MichaeSmas,x73I, Ixva5redonMr Florer, of Snts,- a Gentleman wllo is tery curious xn Fox_ HoundsX 14e co-mpLainecl that He was aSaid of a MadmfX :Xtugfl his Hadis; br that Merntse one lzad run mad in the-KeniR-el and he s^as appre henfIve that mo!l of the reLt- *vete bit ;by }zinz : 1 tool tllss Opportuni-ty of telling him that I had Iong beLite'd ehat-Merctwr7 woulds if try'ds prove the ld Remedy-ngainff this I*f*%ion-; and tllat if the Idea- I had form'd of thxs Poifon was juR, I >>as pretty filre -the Medicine would anfwer, notwith- fEaizding the Difficulty tllere is of determining the E;Meds of a Medicine a ptiori s and that- it NVass at -lea0X worth whil} to try. Mr. 70o,yer aegled;ted this Advice till the Fe6rgary following. Mlean time he try'd the Medicine ill.Bates, coulmonly known ly the Name of the Pewter-Nledicine; as alio every thing elKe which was recommended to him ly other SportEmen, but to no PurpoSe ; for Iome of h-is Hounds run mad almoft every Day af ter Hunting. Upon this he took his Hollnds to the Sea, and had every one of- them dipt in the Salt- Watcr; and at his Returs, brollght his Pack to a- nother Gentleman's Kennel, fix Aliles dillaut from his own. But, notwith{landing this Precaution,- he loR fix or feven Couple of hts Dogs in a Fortnights Time. About this Time, which was in Bebreary I svaited on him at his new Habitation, and found him in that DiRre& not unllfual with SportSmen up on thefe Occafiotls. I ask'd him if he had try'd the Experimeg I yecompended. He faid he ha*

I i I1ore

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C as6 3 not, but that tsro of his Hounds nrere then 7 mSs and 11e urould that Night do it. He Ihewed rze the DGgS, and they were botll as far gone as I ever 12ave feen any. They refus'd Food of all Sorts, par ticularly Fluids, Ilaver'd much, andhad alEthe Sympi tomsof a Hydrophobia to a great t)egree. ;He fene immediately to LichfieSdforalltheTBrperD-Minew ral he could get>aud that Night gave twelve Grains a-piece to the tsro l)ogs, which vomited arld pur- ged them gen tly. Txrenty-four Hours after tht-s lle gave tO each twet}ty-four Grairls; and after the fame-Interval he gave forty-eight more to-each. The Dogs falivated collfideral)ly, and fOOtl after Bap'd xvarm Milk. Ar the Erld of tvetry-four Hours more he repeated to one Dog t^?e1<ty-four Grains nz-oreX alld emitted it to-the other. Tlle lDog that took this Ia{} DoSe, 1ay -upon the Ground laliva-ted extreamly was irl great Agonies,alld had- Jli thw Symproms of a Salivation rats'd too tlutck s but gOt tllFOUgh it and is at £his Time alive. The vther relapEcd and dled.

>v-all tlle rcR of the Pack he gave Seven Gralns- of the EgrPetb for t}<e firR Dofe, the Second tuielve, at tw-enty-tour Hours dasnce7 xvhich NZJAS repeated every other Day for fo£ne little Time. The Me.- thod was repeated at the two or thrce fiuccceding Fulls and ChangeS cf vth-e Moon. Fxom this Time he lo(t nor another Hdsund; and though f-everal have fince been bit lzy Rrange I)ogs, the S2rpeth Ilas always prevented any ill ConIequences.

I and lBy Fri ends;h-ave try 'd t!le fame Tvhing fince upors a iMultittl£le of Dogs) and it has neve-r- failed itl any OIle Int:tance,- tlwough Dogs bit at-the fame

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[ 147 ] TimeZ and by the fame Dogs, Hlave run mad after moR other l\4ethods had becll try'd.

As to tile Experiments made u.pon Mankirld, I have had Opportllaities of nzakitlgbllt three.

The fir w-as about tvs o Years and a half ago, up- on a Girl about fourteell Years old The Calf of her Leg was fO torn by a Mad Dog-? that the SurX geon was obliged to uSeMeans to prevent a Morti. fication from tlle Bite. She svas vomited by the S<peth. Tllree t)ays before the next Change of the Moons the V¢.Oi1r(c was repeated, and again t-he very Day of itS tliAngiNg. T-he fame Method wras parfiued the IlCXt Full Moon. The Girl is very well.

Thezfecond x^z a Boy of abollt ten Years of Age. He had Follr Holes :itl one of his Legs, mad-e by a Adad Dog in lXlovetaber la(t. The farpeth was giveil as above, and the XYounds dre-ed with Dige(tives, and he conttnues we-lla Th,eSe esvo . . . . . . . . liv'd near Btxrtog upon Trent, and lNIrB rowsirowX of that Place, was Apothecary.

The third Ca{e sutas rllat of a young Matl near Tam o-rtb, of about eiglltecn . The Bice xvas up-- on the kiatld. A great INtulnber ofr Dogs xvere bit at rlae- fime Time} ill thc Tox-t?ll *vhere.heliv'd. About filx Days after the lWi{8chief xvas- dones le^?eral Dogs tllat had been wounded ran mad, upon which he applied hitnfelf tO Mr. AYiafon, Apothecary ini Eamvorth, tO whanz I had comazbullicated the Stlc- cqfs of -tbeP TMetJa ill this Cafe. The".young;>dan wras>at-this^Titme.very melangllolty atld dqe&eds t;ad Tremors, andSllept;eryt lltde for SOme bltht@s- before, thout,h he sras not apprcheniftve t11at the lJog

vi!hich

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[ 148 2 rhitls bar him s^as mad. -He had - a dry ScaS upon his Hand . He svas., upert applying to ^Nlr. ARti/fon, vomited with M;n. BASYeSSiS. Zij.

TIze aoxt Elirzg 1w toeId was made accordirlg to tlle follaving Preieri'yti-on.

F ff}tft6. w«t gr. x:i3. Lap. Covtrvgers. 3is

Sher. Sndrotwe q. /:lL1. F. Bol. N° 3,fim;t unw Engalis ao-Sibas horadecgbitsn's J4XperbiJe7sdo7S1vp.

heq. Corkl. iY. F Xq. RBr. wvj. Theriar. sij Syr. Pago. c. wi find. CaJ?or sij M F. 3!zB1zgp.

Upon takng th¢Se he f\veat very much, aud had t^70-loofe Stools every Day afrer thenz: His Tre- mors went off, and fept better. Afeer this he >ent iUtd tlle Cold-Bath, and colltInues-perfedly a^tell.

But s7l]at is remarkable in this Cafeis, that the Wound an a thicle digefted Matter after thts Me- tled, and th-renv ofF the Scab like an Efrar; drer urhicll it healed of itEelf.

I vill not prefume to philoNophzze upon theSe CaKes, w-llen 1 am writlug to one v ho is So much better capable of doingi-t than I can pretetld to be. Much lets nzallI pretend to deterrnine whether ilAercalry has theSe ESed;ts from its fipecifick Prou pertics, xvhich enables it t0 prevent or diffiolvethoSe inflammatory Concretions which cau<.(e the Hyatro- phabiv, or from the F:vacuattons it cauSes. TrlAead of diScufiing this Point, give me eave tO make an ObServation or tw-o 1lpon the Alstiquity of this Dif. efe, whic-h I the rather choofe to do, becauSe Calixs H?WreXiangs, in his -Account of it, does not ieem to build fO much upon the Allthority of HOmfr aS ;n my hutuble Opirxion, he might have c}one. Indeed he quotes a PaSage out of the eighth

IWad}

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c %9 3 IWJdf whcre fegcer calls SMur^XA, Aaa<rf but ies not feen to think tlliS fiMcaent to pros?e that H>M;** xvas acquair}tcd xvith t!ris Madnefs ButW he-onlits tro luore PafEagG in the fame A-2thOtwr nvhtch, ioined with thisy amount to a RmdnAra- tionthat Hower vas by 2)o means; iorantof it. The frR is in the ninth :I/d, wherecV/yWew-is up > onhis-Rtnba%ttoXckilWas. kIed-efcribes to thee }aR mentiolaed Pleros tl4e DRrei[§ the Grerian Ar-- my saa-s in through lais ̂ AbSenve; alld when l;ie hs painted HeSor as terrible as he canX lie compzes- his Fury to the Rge of ablad LDug. I/wdLib. ix.l. :37*

6ExRp a 746 S;>si ,8Aeol;zv ^4X1t*w ftittZS) X}'8 51A. bS t X-t >Aitys 8&2 @ws -- xy-pw a; Auam St-Svr __Hedcor: -vtr- sXie trrib ora]Xs adS-

Xiriens

Fgtrit terrbiliter, fketw ove: er ftticqas honorat

Zrox XeqUe i3evs; is vat K rabies znsv4t.

If Bovzer 11ad defign>-d to deScrbe- a M:d - Ivog asv a Phyfician, he could not have exprefsd his LooRs boy a more proper Word than B?ves^Ers'Vzz. It tnuXt alSo be cHideryd, -that this DlfcoutSe isfdireid to Schilles, who, having Iludied PhyEisk undc¢£ Ch*> o tvas geniqucati-yFmore vpalzle oEreccivxngan Id>- of tle MiIchief HeUar-did to hls Gorln-try-mca by this Metaphor

In the thirteentl1 IDads Z£gsr iS again cals'd t9:>gt5? by >tz-e.

Ir muk be obSers'd:t-1Rat tuu=% >U¢x-ws and avy/Wsi can propexly*> ind in hcir natural Signifiw

cation,:

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[ ZtO 3 caeson, be applied to no other- MadneSs tllan that which is peculiar to a- Dog, though metaphorically it ma, as in the InFances I have givenX as alfo in Sophorlis and fFuripide. The Word avsou or Avvacc is uSed- to fignify the Madnefs of Dogs ly Afrif orle, Galen, and DioJcoridSes. And -Avaso@ex6 is uSed by the laR mentioned Author to figsify a Man bit by a Mad Dog. Ad¢a=" is uSed by Sreta s in this Senfe, and tvomcs; by f Itltarah, to exprefs the fame Thillg. - \Mhat I srould infcr from tI<is is, that Houner was

certainly ac<quainted with tleMadne-fs o5Dogs; and if Dogs in his Days ran tzad, 'tIS probable tlley

would bite Men, and if {o, to be fiure, an Hadro- pho6ia would be the C:onfequence; notwithRanding that, TIatarch will lzave it that it zvas firIk taker iNotice of in the Days of Xfclepiades, who was fa mous for his Pradttce in Rome before the Death of Mithrizlates.

Another- fioug FJvidence-of its Antiquity is thae InStind;t which direds every>Dog to avoid him that: is mad, upon fimeLling, feeing, or even hearing him If this is not Inflinds, it is Reafon ; and that in a higher Degree than nve ourSelves can pretend to. Nonv InFind;t lnuI} {)e coeval with the Creation, or at 1eaR the Fall ; and therPfore MadneSs muR not be much younger.

I hea rtily as<Pardon for taking up fo much of your Tlme from BufneSs of much greater Import ; and I beg Leave to fubEcribe tnyfelS

S I R, Soxr rXsX,fit stedveer hgmble Servaa;,

RQBERT JAMES.

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