An interesting case, reported from Germany, in which hydro- phobia
was, according to the statement, cured by the use of that terrible drug, curare, which paralyses the motor nerves, though without affecting the sensitive nerves, and so stops muscular con- vulsion, was given in Wednesday's Times. The somewhat daring oxperiment was made by Dr. Offenburg, who treated the case at Miinster, in Westphalia. The patient, a peasant girl, was bitten by a mad dog on 23rd July, 1874, but the, symptoms of hydrophobia did not come on till the 16th October, when morphia and chloroform were tried in vain. Dr. Offenburg then in- jected three centigrammes of curare, an injection five times repeated, though not always in quite equal civantity, during the next 41 hours. The convulsions began to diminish after the second injection, and soon disappeared ; but then began the paralysis of the muscles of the chest, so that the woman had to be kept alive by artificial inspi- ration; but after nearly nine hours from the first injection the paralysis diminished, and from that time the recovery was rapid, except one slight drawback, treated by a new injection, and in a fortnight she was quite well again. The remedy is a terrible one, but the disease is still more so, so that the success of any remedy will be to the public a relief.
Previous page
