Advice to the people in general, with regard to their healthTissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Science
Advice to the people in general, with regard to their health
Tissot, S. A. D. (Samuel Auguste David)
Hygiene -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. -- Early works to 1800; Medicine, Popular -- Early works to 1800
Sec. 190. When a Person is bit by such a Dog, the Wound commonly heals up
as readily, as if it was not in the least poisonous: but after the
Expiration of a longer or shorter Term, from three Weeks to three
Months; but most commonly in about six Weeks, the Person bitten begins
to perceive, in the Spot that was bit, a certain dull obtuse Pain. The
Scar of it swells, inflames, bursts open, and weeps out a sharp, foetid,
and sanious, or somewhat bloody Humour. At the same Time the Patient
becomes sad and melancholy: he feels a kind of Indifference,
Insensibility, and general Numbness; an almost incessant Coldness; a
Difficulty of breathing; a continual Anguish, and Pains in his Bowels.
His Pulse is weak and irregular, his sleep restless, turbid, and
confused with Ravings; with starting up in Surprize, and with terrible
Frights. His Discharges by Stool are often much altered and irregular,
and small cold Sweats appear at very short Intervals. Sometimes there is
also a slight Pain or Uneasiness in the Throat. Such is the first Degree
of this Disease, and it is called by some Physicians the dumb Rage, or
Madness.
Sec. 191. Its second Degree, the confirmed or downright Madness, is
attended with the following Symptoms. The Patient is afflicted with a
violent Thirst, and a Pain in drinking. Soon after this he avoids all
Drink, but particularly Water, and within some Hours after, he even
abhors it. This Horror becomes so violent, that the bringing Water near
his Lips, or into his Sight, the very Name of it, or of any other Drink;
the Sight of Objects, which, from their Transparence, have any
Resemblance of Water, as a Looking Glass, _&c._ afflicts him with
extreme Anguish, and sometimes even with Convulsions. They continue
however still to swallow (though not without violent Difficulty) a
little Meat or Bread, and sometimes a little Soup. Some even get down
the liquid Medicines that are prescribed them, provided there be no
Appearance of Water in them; or that Water is not mentioned to them, at
the same Time. Their Urine becomes thick and high-coloured, and
sometimes there is a Suppression or Stoppage of it. The Voice either
grows hoarse, or is almost entirely abolished: but the Reports of the
bitten barking like Dogs are ridiculous and superstitious Fictions, void
of any Foundation; as well as many other Fable, that have been blended
with the History of this Distemper. The Barking of Dogs however is very
disagreeable to them. They are troubled with short _Deliriums_ or
Ravings, which are sometimes mixed with Fury. It is at such times that
they spit all around them; that they attempt also to bite, and sometimes
unhappily effect it. Their Looks are fixed, as it were, and somewhat
furious, and their Visage frequently red. It is pretty common for these
miserable Patients to be sensible of the Approach of their raging Fit,
and to conjure the Bystanders to be upon their Guard. Many of them never
have an Inclination to bite.
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