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the cold bath, or a cold spring- or river, every morning fasting,for a month ; he must be dipped all over, but not stay in(with his head above water) longer than half a minute, if thewater be very cold. After this he must go in three times aweek for a fortnight longer.
" The person must be bled before he begins to use themedicine."
We shall next mention the famous East India specific, as itis called. This medicine is composed of cinnabar and musk.It is esteemed a great antispasmodic, and by many extolledas an infallible remedy for preventing the effects of the biteof a mad dog. *
" Take native and factitious cinnabar of each twenty-fourgrains, musk sixteen grains ; let these be made into a finepowder, and taken in a glass of arrack or brandy."
This single dose is said to secure the person for thirty days,at the end of which it must be repeated ; but if he has anysymptoms of the disease, it must be repeated in three hours.
The following is likewise reckoned a good antispasmodicmedicine :
Take of Virginian snakeroot in powder half a dram, gumassafcetida twelve grains, gum camphire seven grains ; makethese into a bolus with a little syrup of saffron.
Camphire may also be given in the following manner :
Take purified nitre half an ounce, Virginian snakeroot inpowder two drams, camphire one dram ; rub them together ina mortar, and divide the whole into ten doses.
Mercury is another medicine of great efficacy, both in theprevention and cure of this kind of madness. When usedas a preventive, it will be sufficient to rub daily a dram of theointment into the parts about the wound.
Vinegar is likewise of considerable service, and should betaken freely, either in the patient's food or drink.
These are the principal medicines recommended for pre-venting the effects of the bite of a mad dog. We would not,however, advise people to trust to any one of them ; but froma proper combination of their different powers there is thegreatest reason to hope for success.
The great error in the use of these medicines lies in nottaking them for a sufficient length of time. They are usedmore like charms than medicines intended to produce anychange in the body. To this, and not to the insufficiency ofthe medicines, must we impute their frequent want of success.