HYDROPHOBIA FROM SKUNK-BITE. 22^ 



enough, but apparently in the impossibility of sifting and fixing 

 earlier accounts. AL varians was proposed by Gray in 1837 

 for the southwestern variety, afterward called macroura by 

 Aubudon and Bachman; and in 1865 Gray had the assurance 

 to set his term over all the prior ones as the specific designa- 

 tion, recounting numerous varieties of the species. MepMth 

 mesomelas of Lichtenstein and M. occulentalis of Baird are 

 names of the western strain of ordinary mepliiiica. 



Other points in the history of Skunks are reviewed under 

 heads of species to follow. 



ADDENDUM TO CHAPTER VII. 



ON nYDROPHOBIA FROM SKUNK-BITE, OR THE SO-GALLED 

 ^'RABIES MEPHITICA". 



The importance of this subject induces me to present such 

 facts as have come to my knowledge. Though it has long 

 been known that the bite of the Skunk under certain condi- 

 tions, like that of various other animals, is capable of inoculat- 

 ing a disease like hydrophobia, it seems that only lately has 

 the subject been thoroughly investigated and adequately pre- 

 sented. This has been done, notably, by two writers, whose 

 respective accounts are here transcribed in full, without far- 

 ther comment. 



The points that the Rev. Mr. Hovey makes are these: — 

 That hydrophobia from Skunk-bite is a different species of 

 the disease from rabies canina; the term rahies mepliUica being 

 proposed for it. That rahies ?«eji/ii^fm is caused by a special 

 hydrophobic virus generated by Skunks. That '^ possibly 

 there may be a causative connection between inactivity of 

 the anal glands and the generation of malignant virus in the 

 glands of the mouth". That the bite of Skunks in apparently 

 normal state of health {i. e., not rabid in the usual sense of 

 the term) is usuallxJatal. That '' we might go further and 

 seek a solution of the whole dread mystery of hydrophobia 

 in the theory that this dread malady originates with the allied 

 genera of MepMtis, Putorius, and Mustela., . . . being from 

 them transferred to the Felidxv and Canid(v and other families 

 of animals". He also suggests that the mephitic secretion 

 might be found to be the natural antidote to the salivary 

 virus. 



