The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XII. By what signes we may know a man is bitten of a mad dog.

IT is not so easie at the first to know a man that is bitten with a mad dogge; and principally for this reason, because the wound made by his teeth causeth no more pain than other wounds usual∣ly * 1.1 do; contrary to the wounds made by the sting or bite of other poysonous creatures, as those which presently after they are in∣flicted, cause sharpe paine, great heat, swelling and abundance of other maligne accidents, according to the nature of the poyson; but the malignity of the bite of a mad dogge appeares not before that the venome shall invade the noble parts. Yet when you are suspicious of such a wound, you may acquire a certaine knowledge and experience thereof by putting a piece of bread in∣to the quitture that comes from the wound. For if a hungry dog neglect, yea more fly from it, and dare not so much as smell thereto, it is thought to bee a certaine signe that the wound was inflicted by a madde dogge. Others adde, That if any give this piece of bread to hens, that they will die the same day they have eaten it; yet this * 1.2 latter, I making experiment thereof, failed, for devouring this virulent bread, they became not a jot the worse. Wherefore I think the former signe to be the more cer∣taine, for dogs have a wonderfull and sure smelling faculty, whereby they easilie sent and perceive the malignitie of the like creature. But when as the raging virulen∣cie hath invaded the noble parts, then the patients, becomming silent and sorrow∣full, thinke of many things, and at the beginning make a noise with their teeth; they * 1.3 make no answer to the purpose, they are more testie than ordinarie, and in their sleepes they are troubled with dreames, and strange phantasies, and fearfull visions, and lastly, they become affraid of the water. But after that the poison hath fixed it selfe into the substance of the noble parts, then all their faculties are disturbed, all the light of their memorie, senses, reason and judgement is extinguished. Wherefore becomming starke mad, they know not such as stand by them, not their friends, no nor themselves, falling upon such as they meet withall, & themselves with their teeth, & nailes & feet. Often twitchings like convulsions do suddenly rise in their limbs; I judge them occasioned by extraordinary driness, which hath as it were wholly drunk up all the humiditie of the nervous parts; there is a great drinesse of the mouth with intolerable thirst, yet without any desire of drink, because the mind being troubled, they become unmindful & negligent of such things as concerne them, and are need∣ful for them; the eyes look fierie & red, & all the face is of the same colour; they still think of dogs, and seem to see them, yea and desire to bark and bite just after the ma∣ner of dogs; I conjecture that the virulent humour hath changed all the humours & * 1.4 the whole body into the like nature, so that they think themselves also dogs; whence their voice becomes hoarse by much endevouring to barke, having forgot all decen∣cie,

like impudent dogs, to the great horrour of the beholders. For their voice growes hoarse by reason of the great drynesse of the aspera arteria; they shun the light, as that * 1.5 which is enemy to melancholy, wherewith the whole substance of the braine is re∣plenished; on the contrary, they desire darkenesse, as that which is like and friendly to them. But they are affraid of the water (though good to mitigate their great di∣stemper * 1.6 of heat and drinesse) and they fly from looking-glasses, because they imagin they see dogs in them, whereof they are much affraide, by reason whereof they shun the water and all polite and cleare bodies which may supply the use of a looking-glasse; so that they throw themselves on the ground, as if they would hide them∣selves therein, lest they should be bitten againe: for they affirme that he which is bit∣ten by a mad dog, alwaies hath a dog in his minde, and so remaines fixed in that sad cogitation. Wherefore thinking that he sees him in the water, he trembles for feare, and therefore shuns the water. Others write that the body by madnesse becom∣meth wondrous dry, wherefore they hate the water, as that which is contrary there∣to, being absolutely the moistest element, and so they say that this is the reason of their fearing the water. Ruffus writes that madnesse is a kinde of melancholie, and that feare is the proper symptome thereof, according to Hippocrates; wherefore * 1.7 this or that kind of melancholie begets a feare of these or these things, but chiefly of bright things, such as looking-glasses and water, by reason that melancholie persons seeke darkenesse and solitarinesse, by reason of the black corruption of the humour wherewith they abound. They fall into cold sweats, a fomie, stinking and greenish matter flowes from the ulcer, by reason of the heat of the antecedent cause and ulce∣rated part. The urine most commonly appeares watrish, by reason that the strainers, as it were, of the kidnies, are straitned by the heat and drinesse of the venome. Yet sometimes also it appears more thick and black, as when nature powerfully using the expulsive facultie, attempts to drive forth by urine the melancholy humour, the seat of the venome. Also sometimes it is wholly supprest, being either incrassated by hot drynesse, or else the mind being carried other waies, and forgetfull of its owne duty, * 1.8 untill at length the patients, vexed by the cruelty of so many symptomes, and over∣come by the bitternesse of pain, die frantick, by reason that medicines have not been speedily and firly applyed. For few of those who have used remedies in time, have perished of this disease.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The bite of a mad dog not ve∣ry painefull at the first.
• * 1.2

  Signes of the bite of a mad dogge.
• * 1.3

  Signes by which you may gather that the noble parts are tain∣ted.
• * 1.4

  Why men be∣comming mad barke like dog••.
• * 1.5

  Why they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the light.
• * 1.6

  Why they are affraid of the water.
• * 1.7

  Aphor. 25. sect. 6.
• * 1.8

  The bite of a mad dog taken in hand in time, is for the most part curable.