contents either as water or as undigested food immediately after meals, especially again after warm food, as warm cocoa or tea; in these incipient inflanimations Iron acts with surprising rapidity; it, in fact, renders the organ it exerts an influence upon impatient of its contents; the words impatience and irritability being expressive both of the mental and bodily condition of those patients whose affections require its specific action. The brain is thrown into precisely the same condition of hyper-excitability as the liver and kidneys, the bowel, womb, and bladder; there may be a dull heavy pain across the forehead, which is always worse on getting up in the morning, but except for this and a feeling of uncomfortable heat, no pain exists with the affection we are considering; the brain rejects impressions, or tries to do so, as they are thrown upon it, and everything causing excitement in it is unpleasant and irritating beyond what is usual; in all this we see a resemblance to Belladonna, but the skilful student of the Materia Medica will have no difficulty in choosing between them.

RABIES MEPHITICA.*

By the Rev. HORACE HOVEY, M.A.

My subject concerns alike medical science and natural history. For while proving the existence of a new disease, some singular facts will be brought to light about a familiar member of the American fauna. It is cruel to add aught to the odium already attached to the common skunk (Mephitis mephitica, Shaw; M. chingu, Tiedmann), but, clearly, he is as dangerous as he is disagreeable. In a wild state he is by no means the weak, timid, harmless creature commonly described by naturalists, although it

*From the American Journal of Science and Arts, May, 1874.

is said that if disarmed of his weapons of defence while young he may be safely domesticated.

A peculiar poison is sometimes contained in the saliva of animals belonging to the canine and feline families, the production of which, it has been generally supposed, is limited to them. Other animals of the same or of different species may be inoculated with this virus, the result being a mysterious malady which men have observed from the days of Homer and Aristotle, but which has never been either cured or understood. This frightful disease has been called, from its origin, Rabies canina, and from one of its symptoms, hydrophobia. Probably it is not communicable by any species but those with which it originates. A few instances have been recorded to the contrary; but they were so imperfectly observed as merely to stimulate us to further investigation. It is stated by the best medical writers (e. g. Watson, Gross, and Aitken) as an undeniable fact that no instance is known of hydrophobia having been communicated from one human being to another, although many patients, in their spasms, have bitten their attendants. An interesting case, but inconclusive, being the only one of its kind, is reported by M. Guillory, in which an aged man experienced spontaneous hydrophobia (Bullétin of Belgian Academy, Nov. 8th, 1871).

In such exceptional instances there may have been previous inoculation, unnoticed or forgotten; for the least particle of this deadly poison will be efficient, and yet it is always tardy in its period of incubation.

The facts now collated will show, it is thought, one of two things either that the hydrophobic virus is both generated and communicated by some of the Mustelidæ, as well as the Felida and Canidæ, or else that a new disease has been discovered, which generally resembles Rabies canina, while differing from it specifically. My judgment favours the latter opinion decidedly, for reasons to be adduced; and accordingly I may name this new malady, from the animal in whose saliva it is generated,

RABIES MEPHITICA.

The varieties of mephitis are notorious for the singular battery with which they are provided by nature. It consists of two anal glands, from which, by the contraction of subcaudal muscles, an offensive fluid can be discharged in thread-like streams with such accuracy of aim as to strike any object within fifteen feet. This secretion is either colourless or of a pale yellow hue. It is phosphorescent ; viewed from a safe distance, its discharge looks like a puff of steam or white smoke. Its odour is far more persistent than that of musk. If too freely inhaled it causes intense nausea, followed by distressing gastric cramp. In minute doses it is said to be a valuable anti-spasmodic. If so, why not experiment with it as a cure for hydrophobic convulsions? It is not known what the effect would be of injecting this fluid beneath the skin. Interesting results might be attained by any one who was willing in behalf of science to investigate further in this inviting path. There certainly seems to be some connection between it and the disease under consideration; for in every instance the rabid skunk has either exhausted his mephitic battery, or else has lost the projectile force by which it is discharged. Perhaps the secretion is only checked by the feverish state of the system. Possibly there may be a causative connection between this inactivity of the anal glands and the generation of malignant virus in the glands of the mouth.

An adventure, while on a summer tour amid the Rocky Mountains, first called my attention to the novel class of facts about to be presented. Our camp was invaded by a nocturnal prowler, which proved to be a large coal-black skunk. Anxious to secure his fine silky fur uninjured, I attempted to kill him with small shot and failed. He made characteristic retaliation, and then, rushing at me with ferocity, he seized the muzzle of my gun between his teeth. Of course the penalty was instant death. An experienced hunter then startled us by saying that the bite of this

animal is invariably fatal, and that when in apparent perfect health it is always rabid. He resented our incredulity and confirmed his statement by several instances of dogs and men dying in convulsions shortly after having been thus bitten.

On mentioning this adventure to H. R. Payne, M.D., who had been camping with miners near Canon City, Colorado, he said that at night skunks would come into their tent, making a peculiar crying noise, and threatening to attack them. His companions, from Texas and elsewhere, had accounts to give of fatal results following the bite of this animal.

Since returning to Kansas City, I have had extensive correspondence with hunters, taxidermists, surgeons, and others, by which means the particulars have been obtained of forty-one cases of Rabies mephitica occurring in Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, and Texas. All were fatal except one, that was the case of a farmer named Fletcher, living near Gainsville, Texas, who was twice bitten by M. macroura, yet recovered and is living still. On further inquiry it was found that he was aware of his danger, and used prompt preventive treatment. Another case was alleged to be an exception-that of a dog which was severely bitten in a long fight with a skunk, but whose wounds healed readily and without subsequent disease. It seems, however, that this dog afterwards died with mysterious symptoms like those of hydrophobia in some of its less aggravated forms.

Instead of burdening this article with a mass of circumstantial details, a few cases only will be given, best fitted to show the peculiarities of the malady, and those are preferred that are located on the almost uninhabited plains of Western Kansas, because there the mephitic weasels would be least liable to be inoculated with canine virus.

A veteran hunter, Nathaniel Douglas, was hunting buffalo, in June, 1873, fourteen miles north of Park's Fort. While asleep he was bitten on the thumb by a skunk. Fourteen days afterwards singular sensations caused him to seek medical advice; but it was too late, and after convulsions lasting for ten hours he died. This case is reported

by an eye-witness, Mr. E. S. Love, of Wyanditte, Kansas, who also gives several similar accounts.

One of the men employed by H. P. Wilson, Esq., of Hayes City, Kansas, was bitten by a skunk at night while herding cattle in the plains. About ten days afterwards he was seized with delirium and fearful convulsions, which followed each other until death brought relief. Mr. Wilson also reports other cases, one of which is very recent. In the summer of 1873 a Swedish girl was bitten by a skunk while going to a neighbour's house. As the wound was slight and readily cured the affair was hardly thought worthy of remembrance. But on January 24th, 1874, the virus, which had been latent for five months, asserted its She was seized with terrible paroxysms; large power. doses of Morphine were administered, which ended both her agony and her life.

In October, 1871, a hunter on Walnut Creek, Kansas, was awakened by having his left ear bitten by some animal; seizing it with his hand, he found it to be a skunk, which after a struggle he killed, but not until his hand was painfully punctured and lacerated. He presented himself for treatment to Dr. J. H. Janeway, army surgeon at Fort Hayes, from whom I have the facts. The wounds in the hands were cauterized, much to the man's disgust, who thought simple dressing sufficient. He refused to have the wound in the ear touched, and went to Fort Harker, to consult Dr. R. C. Brewer. Twelve days after the latter reported that his patient had died with hydrophobic symptoms. Another hunter in the fall of 1872 applied to Dr. Janeway to be treated for a bite through one of the alæ of the nose. He had been attacked by a skunk while in camp on the Smoky River, two nights previous. He had been imbibing stimulants freely and was highly excited and nervous. A stick of nitrate of silver was passed through the wound several times. He was kept under treatment for two days, when he left to have a "madstone" applied. He afterwards went home to his ranch and died in convulsions twenty-one days from the time he was inoculated.

I give but one more of the cases reported to me by