in Dogft, Oxen, Horses, Pigs, and Sheep. 355 



the mouth, are, of all signs, the least to be relied on : they 

 belong only to the last stages of the disorder, when the animal 

 has almost ceased to live. On the other hand, it is a well known 

 fact that some dogs, in a state of health, constantly foam at 

 the mouth, and that all look dejected and hang their tails when 

 they have wandered astray. 



The same observation applies to the observation of barking, 

 or the hoarse bark. Many dogs bark but rarely, whilst with 

 others the bark is perpetually hoarse ; on the contrary, many 

 rabid dogs continue to growl or raise a howling bark (so that 

 a single short bark is succeeded by a shrill lengthened howl), 

 similar to that made by healthy dogs at certain sights or sounds, 

 from hunger, thirst, &c. Even in the appearance of the eye 

 in rabies, the unprejudiced observer will not discover any 

 essential change. 



The moment a dog evinces any traces of illness, it is no 

 longer to be trusted ; and it would be well to lock it up, or 

 fasten it to a stout chain. But when it begins to gnaw wood, 

 to shew a dull eye, to snap at animals with which it had become 

 familiarized, to bark hoarsely ; when it attempts to run away 

 or to break its chain, eats and drinks with a snapping gesture, 

 at intervals appears lively, and then again sneaks sulkily to its 

 kennel ; when it disregards its master's call, and, contrary to 

 its former habits, growls and snarls at well-known persons ; 

 the animal ought to be despatched ; for there can no longer 

 remain a doubt of its being rabid. If a dog runs away, and 

 returns home on the second or third day, with any unhealthy 

 symptoms, its rabidness is equally certain, more particularly if 

 it then ceases to know its master. 



The rabid dog is often very sudden in its motions, darting at 

 its victim with the quickness of lightning. In the first stages 

 it bites slily, and rather pinches than wounds ; but, at a later 

 period, the bite is so terrible, that force is sometimes necessary 

 to disengage the animal. I witnessed two cases in which the 

 dogs could not be made to relax their hold until their spine 

 had been divided by a blow with a hatchet. 



2. In Oxen. — In horned cattle, amongst which I have met 

 with the most numerous instances of rabies, this disorder evL 



