348

HYDROPHOBIA.

produce vomiting ; and, at the same time, to decompose the poi-son, which it renders inert, by forming an insoluble sulphate. Tilleither of the above salts can be obtained, large draughts of wateralone, or made slightly sour by sulphuric acid, may be freelydrank.

l^ests. — Solution of lime changes vegetable blues to green, andis precipitated white by carbonic and oxalic acid, while no changeis produced on it by sulphuric acid ; its salts are decomposed bythe fixed alkalies, which precipitate the lime, but not the ammonia.

Ture barytes undergoes similar changes to lime when water isadded to it, and acts like it on vegetable colours. It does noteffervesce with acids. Sulphuric acids, and all the sulphates ad-ded to a solution of it, produce a white precipitate, insoluble inwater and nitric acid. Carbonate of barytes is insoluble in water,but dissolves in nitric and muriatic acid in a state of effervescence.Muriate of barytes dissolved in water, is not changed by pure am-monia, but its carbonates, as well as all other alkaline carbonates,throw down a white precipitate, which is carbonate of barytes.

NITRE. (Salt-petre ; Nitras Potassa:.)

Symptoms. — Cardialgia, nausea, painful vomiting, purging, con-vulsions, syncope, with feeble pulse, cold extremities, teasing painsof the stomach and bowels ; difficulty of breathing, a species of in-toxication, and often death*

Treatment. — Similar to that of arsenic, only that lime is not tobe used.

HYDROPHOBIA.

The disease is most frequent after long, dry, hot seasons ; andsuch dogs as live upon putrid st'nking carrion, without havingenough of fresh water, are most liable to it.

When any person has been bit by a dog, the strictest enquiryought to be made whether the animal was really mad. Many dis-agreeable consequences arise from neglecting to ascertain thispoint. Some people have lived in continual anxiety for manyyears, because they had been bit by a dog which they believed tobe mad ; but, as he had been killed on the spot, it was impossibleto ascertain the fact. This should induce us, instead of killing adog the moment he has bit any person, to do all in our powerto keep him alive, at least till we can ascertain whether he be mador not.

The poison of hydrophobia is generally communicated by awound, which nevertheless heals as soon as a common wound.

Symptoms. — At an uncertain interval after the bite, generally,however, between the twentieth day and three or four months, painor uneasiness occurs in the bitten part, though the wound mayhave been long healed.

Anxiety, languor, spasms, horror, disturbed sleep, difficult res-piration, succeed, and are soon very much increased ; violent con-vulsions affect the whole body, hideously distorting the muscles ofthe face ; the eyes are red and protruded ; the tongue swells, and