Note 728 — BOOK III.—OF THE EPIDEMICS.

This case, as Galen remarks, is an instance of the most acute form of phrenitis. He states that he himself had met with cases of phrenitis in which the patients had died on the fourth and fifth day, but that he had never seen a case which proved so suddenly fatal as the present one. He further makes some very interesting reflections on the suddenness of the attack in such cases, which is the more wonderful, as the exciting cause of them must be gradually collecting in the system, and acquiring strength and intensity, and it is singular that it should then be developed all at once, and cut off the patient in a very short time, as if he had swallowed poison, or had been stung by a venomous animal. He compares the latency of the febrile humor in the system to that of the mad dog, which will remain for a long time in the body of a person who had been bitten, and then all at once will manifest its effects, by inducing the rage. For the ancient views on the subject of Hydrophobia, see Paulus Ægineta, Book V., 4, Sydenham Society’s edition.