HYDROPHOBIA.

West Coast Times, Issue 2743, 16 January 1878, Page 4

HYDROPHOBIA.

An interesting case, reported from Germany, in which hydrophobia was, according to the statement, cured by the use of that terrible drug, curare, which paralyses the motor nerveß, though without affecting the sensitive nerves, and so stops muscular convulsion, was given in Wednesday's Times. The somewhat daring experiment was made by Dr Offenburg, who treated the case at Munster, Westphalia. The patient, a peasant girl, was bitten by a mad dog on July 23, 1874, but the symptoms of hydrophobia did not come on till Oct . 16, when morphia and cboloroform were tried in vain. Dr Offenburg then injected three centigrammes of curare, an injection five times repeated, though not always in quite equal quantity, during the next 4$ hours. The convulsions began to diminish after the second injection, and soon disappeared ; but then began the paralysis of the muscles ot the chest, so that the woman had to be kept alive by artificial inspiration ; but after nearly nine hours from the first injection the paralysis diminished, and from that time the recovery was rapid, except one slight drawback, treated by a new injection, and iv a fortnight she was quite well again. The remedy is a terrible one, but the disease is still more so, so that the success of any remedy will be to the public a relief.

Once upon a time it bo happened that two men (being equally sick) having a wonderful sympathy for each ether— for bo*.h were Buffering from that torturing malady, Gout ! — hobbled along together, using at Bhort intervals those pious ejaculations, which gouty folks are apt use, when one of them, espying the placard of " Gbollab's Great Indian Cures" eaid that he had heard bo good an account of these medicines, he would certainly try them, at which hia companion laughed heartily. The other, however, procured the medicine and got cured Which Of the two can afford to laugh moat f