A mad dog on shore, in the West-Indies, bit two men, one belonged to my ship’s crew, the other to a ship in the same harbour; both were bit in the calf of the leg. It happened that the surgeon of the other ship and myself were immediately at hand at the time of the accident. I was for cutting the part bitten fairly out without delay; to which the man of my ship readily contented; and it was done accordingly upon the spot, having fortunately my pocket instruments about me. But this operation was not approved of by Mr. E——; nor suited it the timidity of the man belonging to his care; it was therefore omitted. When I had performed the operation, viz. (as near as I can guess) I cut more than an ounce and a half of flesh out of the gastrocnemius muscle (every where round the bitten part) I spread a pledget with basilicon, mixed with precipitate, and laid it on the wound, having first let it bleed, perhaps six or eight ounces; over the pledget I laid plenty of dry lint; and when he was carried on board, I fomented it with spirits of wine and camphor, in which _sublimate mercury_ was dissolved (about one grain to about four ounces of the spirit). Inwardly I gave him one grain of calomel every morning and night for at least a fortnight. The sore I continued to dress with mercurial ointment; which within a month healed up perfectly sound. From the mercurial treatment, the patient had a small ptyalism, which I checked by gentle cathartics. My patient, by this severe, though efficacious method, recovered perfectly well, and remained so at least three months after the accident, when we parted. The other unfortunate man, however, had not so good luck; for, as I was afterwards informed (the ship going soon to sea after the accident) the unhappy sufferer died a horrible object, raving mad in the _hydrophobia_. Mercury is certainly the greatest antacrid we have; and I am firmly of opinion, that in this case it is the most powerful of any medicine that is yet known. The cold bath is strenuously recommended by Dr. Mead; and since his recommending it, is generally practised on suspicion of this misfortune; but in real cases, very seldom with the wished-for success. Yet, Reason says much in its favour, and should by all means be had recourse to. Others have recommended strong salt brine, which also is not to be rejected. Before I lay down the method to be observed, I shall first give Dr. Mead’s recipe in his own words.