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PARTISAN REVIEW
(This heartfelt observation is but my own, and naught but
incidental, for the distinguished Dr. Fuerst did not tarry in his
lecture, wishing to dwell but briefly upon the particulars of the
Jellyby case, and those to follow: for his intention, of course, was to
put forth the essentials of his and his colleagues' theory, -the which,
being abstruse and challenging, and not aided, by the speaker's
monotony of delivery, offered some resistance to being
comprehended, by an audience of undergraduates, and divers older
members of the Princeton community, including some faculty
members, and even a number of wives.
Yet I cannot resist an interpolation here, as to the cruelty and
cunning, of that infamous disease, in which the reader too may take
some small surprised interest. For, quite apart from the horror of its
pathogenic assault, upon the frail human body, rabies can quietly
reside in its unsuspecting,-nay, innocent-host,
for nearly a year,
betraying no symptoms!-whereupon, with maniacal suddenness,
it springs to the fore, with headache, fever, nausea, tightening
and convulsing of muscles, exacerbated nerves, anxiety, raving, hyper–
esthesia, epileptiform seizures, excruciating pain, that "foam-
ing" at the mouth that is the consequence of uncontrollable sali–
vation, and, alas, even more horrors: so torturing its victims,
that madness oft o'ercomes them, and even the desire to
bite;
and
death is certain. Indeed, in its more customary victims,-such
warm-blooded creatures as dogs, cats, squirrels, rats, foxes, skunks,
and even bats-rabies so possesses them with
its own diabolical intent,
to proliferate throughout the world, that they helplessly oblige the
disease, by running mad, and biting other creatures. This has, of
course, the necessary consequence, that the rabies virus is then
communicated, by way of the infected saliva, to yet another hapless
victim: and, from that, to yet another! And so, on and on, until all
the victims are dead, or have been killed; or the entire world is
rabid, and Rabies
sovereign over all.
Was ever a disease so hideous, and yet so prescient?-so bar–
baric, yet proudly displaying certain indications, of a near-rational
ingenuity? Young Josiah Slade must truly be pitied, for deeming
himself
rabid,
and fit either to
kill,
or
be killed:
but we must question,
whether this image of homicidal frenzy, is altogether appropriate, to
a young gentleman of his moral courage, and familial heritage.
More worthy is it, as a poetical designation, of being applied to such
infuriated and witless creatures, as the Anarchists, and others of that
foreign persuasion!)
