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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



tween the two are very clearly marked. It is 

 true that slight touches of the body will excite 

 the tetanic spasm, but it is the rigid or abiding 

 form of spasm, which relaxes gradually and 

 slowly ; whereas in hydrophobia the spasms are 

 sudden and frequent, such as are popularly called 

 convulsions. In tetanus there is no thirst, sel- 

 dom any vomiting, no accumulation of tough and 

 stringy mucus in the mouth and throat. The 

 mental faculties are clear, and the patient is se- 

 rene, and what is called heart-whole, to the 

 last. 



The symptoms of rabies, as witnessed in the 

 dog, have been well described by Mr. Youatt. 

 The earliest is a marked change in the animal's 

 habits. Of course this will be more perceptible 

 by those acquainted with the dog, and cognizant 

 of his habits. The dog becomes sullen, restless, 

 his eyes glisten, there is often slight squinting, 

 and some twitching of the face, with a continual 

 shifting of posture, a steadfast gaze expressive 

 of suspicion, an earnest licking of some part on 

 which a scar may generally be found. If the ear 

 be the affected part, the dog is incessantly and 

 violently scratching it; if the foot, he gnaws it 

 till the skin is broken. Occasional vomiting and 

 a depraved appetite are also early noticeable. 

 The dog will pick up and swallow bits of thread 

 or silk from the carpet, hair, straw, and even 

 clung. Then the animal becomes irascible, flies 

 fiercely at strangers, is impatient of correction, 

 which he receives in sullen silence, seizes the 

 whip or stick, quarrels with his own companions, 

 eagerly hunts and worries the cats, demolishes 

 his bed, and if chained up makes violent efforts 

 to escape, tearing his kennel to pieces with his 

 teeth. If at large he usually attacks such dogs 

 as come in his way, but if he be naturally fero- 

 cious he will diligently and perseveringly seek 

 his enemy. About the second day a considera- 

 ble flow of saliva begins, but this does not long 

 continue, and it is succeeded by insatiable thirst. 

 He appears to be annoyed by some viscid matter 

 in his throat, and in the most eager and extraor- 

 dinary manner he works with his paws at the 

 corners of his mouth to remove it, and while thus 

 employed frequently loses his balance and rolls 

 over. A loss of power over the voluntary mus- 

 cles is next observed. It begins with the lower 

 jaw, which hangs down, and the mouth is par- 

 tially open ; the tongue is less affected ; the dog 

 is able to use it in the act of lapping, but the 

 mouth is not sufficiently closed to retain the 

 water; therefore, while he hangs over the vessel 



eagerly lapping for several minutes, its contents 

 are very little, or not at all, diminished. The 

 palsy often affects the loins and extremities also ; 

 the animal staggers about, and frequently falls. 

 Previously to this he is in almost incessant mo- 

 tion. Mr. Youatt fancies the dog is subject to 

 what we call spectral illusions. He starts up and 

 gazes earnestly at some real or imaginary object. 

 He appears to be tracing the path of something 

 floating around him, or he fixes his eyes intently 

 on some spot on the wall, and suddenly plunges 

 at it ; then his eyes close, and his head droops. 



Frequently, with his head erect, the dog ut- 

 ters a short and very peculiar howl ; or if he 

 barks it is in a hoarse, inward sound, totally un- 

 like his usual tone, terminating generally with 

 this characteristic howl. The respiration is al- 

 ways affected ; often the breathing is very labori- 

 ous ; and the inspiration is attended with a sin- 

 gular grating, choking noise. On the fourth, 

 fifth, or sixth day of the disease, he dies, occa- 

 sionally in slight convulsions, but oftener without 

 a struggle. 



It is a common and misleading mistake to 

 think that the rabid dog, like the hydrophobic 

 man, will shun water, and that if he takes to a 

 river it may safely he concluded that he is not 

 mad. On the contrary, as I have already hinted, 

 there is no dread of water, but unquenchable 

 thirst ; the animal rushes eagerly to water, 

 plunges his muzzle into it, and tries to drink, 

 but often is unable to swallow from paralysis of 

 his lower jaw, which prevents him from shutting 

 his mouth. 



Another opinion not at all uncommon is, that 

 healthy dogs recognize one that is mad, and fear 

 him, and run away from his presence, in obedi- 

 ence to some mysterious and wonderful instinct, 

 warning them of their danger. According to Mr. 

 Youatt, this is quite unfounded. Equally mis- 

 taken is the notion that the mad dog exhales a 

 peculiar and offensive smell. 



I do not know whether the period of incuba- 

 tion in a dog which has been infected with rabies 

 by the bite of another rabid dog has been accu- 

 rately ascertained ; but that the disease may be 

 imparted by a dog so infected before the symp- 

 toms of rabies become manifest is clear from the 

 following instance, with which I have been favored 

 by Mr. Wrench, of Baslow, in Derbyshire : 



"A small terrier" (he writes) "belonging to 

 myself was bitten by an undoubtedly rabid dog, and 

 was consequently destroyed about a fortnight after- 

 ward, and before it had shown any symptoms of 

 disease. In the mean time it had licked the cropped 



