A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several EssaysMead, Richard
Science
A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays
Mead, Richard
Poisons -- Early works to 1800; Venom -- Physiological effect -- Early works to 1800
To conclude with this Poison, we may take notice that, as to the
_Return_ of the Symptomes the next Year, That is owing to the same
excessive Heat in those Months, acting again upon the small remains
of the Venomous _Ferment_; thus _Bartholin_ (69) relates a Story of
a Melancholy Physician at _Venice_ who suffer’d the Attacks of his
Disease only during the Dog-days, which yearly ended and return’d with
them. A convincing proof how great a share Heat has in all these Cases.
[Illustration]
_Of the Mad DOG._
More difficult and terrifying are the Symptoms from the Bite of a _Mad
Dog_, whose Venom has this also surprising in it, that the bad Effects
do not appear oftentimes till the Cause of ’em is forgot; for the Wound
is as easily cured as a common Bite is; but nevertheless a considerable
time after, a melancholy Tragedy succeeds, sometimes sooner, sometimes
later; for there are Instances of its being deferred to Two, (70) Six
Months, nay, a Year, and longer, tho’ the attack is generally within
Forty Days after the Wound; about that time, the Patient complains of
Running Pains all over his Body, especially near the Part wounded,
like unto those in a Rheumatism, grows pensive and sad, prone to Anger
upon little or no Occasion, with an intermitting Pulse, Tremblings and
Contractions of the Nerves, with a great inward Heat and Thirst; and
yet in a few Days (when the Disease is come to its height) a Dread and
Fear of Water, and any Liquor whatsoever; so that at the very sight of
it he falls into dismal Convulsions and Agonies, and cannot drink the
least drop; and this _Hydrophobia_, or _Aquæ Timor_, has been always
accounted the surest Sign and Mark of this Poison, as distinguishing it
from all others.
The Ancients have at large described these Symptoms, as _Galen_,
_Dioscorides_, _Aetius_, _Ægineta_, but most particularly of all,
_Cælius Aurelianus_ (71); and later Writers have given us several
Instances of the _Hydrophobia_; Two Histories of it published, the
one by Dr. _Lister_ (72), the other by Dr. _Howman_ (73), I shall more
especially take Notice of, and refer to, as containing the most exact
and large Account of any I have met with; he that desires more, may
consult the several Authors cited by that diligent Observer, _Stalpart
van der Wiel_ (74).
That this Disease is accompany’d with a _Delirium_, is almost the
common Opinion both of Ancients and Moderns; _Damocrates_ called it
the barking Phrensie (75); but Dr. _Lister_ agrees in this Point with
_Petrus Salius Diversus_ (76), and will not allow a _Delirium_ to be the
necessary consequent of this Venom; and yet at the same time he tells
us, that his Patient barked like a Dog, and bit at the By-standers;
that he threw into his Mouth what was given him more hastily and
suddenly than it is Natural or Customary for Men to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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