HYDROPHOBIA. 271 



to be afflicted with the dumb madness. In most instances the dog is 

 silent during the later stages of the illness. 



Before the disease has developed itself to any extent the poor crea- 

 ture becomes thoughtful and anxious, and looks with wistful eyes upon 

 his friends, as if beseeching them to aid him in the unknown evil that 

 hangs so heavily upon him. He then retires to his usual resting-place, 

 and sluggishly lies upon his bed, strangely uneasy, and continually shift- 

 ing his posture. Fortunately the disposition to bite does not make its 

 appearance until the disease has made considerable progress. 



In these stages of the malady the dog is often seen to fight with his 

 paws at the corner of his mouth, as if endeavoring to rid himself of a 

 bone that had become fixed among his teeth. This symptom may, how- 

 ever, be readily distinguished by the fact that the dog is able to close his 

 mouth between the paroxysms of his ailment, which he is unable to do 

 when he is affected by the presence of a bone or other extraneous sub- 

 stance in his throat. 



An unquenchable thirst soon fastens upon the afflicted dog, and drives 

 him to the nearest spot where he can obtain any liquid that may cool his 

 burning throat. 



In the earlier stages of the complaint he laps without ceasing, but 

 when the disease has destroyed the powers of his tongue and throat, he 

 plunges his head into the water as far as the depth of the vessel will per- 

 mit, in hope of bringing his throat in contact with the cooling fluid. It 

 is generally supposed that a mad dog will not touch water, and for this 

 reason the malady was termed hydrophobia, or " dread of water"; but it 

 is now ascertained that the animal is so anxious to drink that he often 

 spills the fluid in his eagerness, and so defeats his own object. 



In the last stage of this terrible disease the dog is seized with an 

 uncontrollable propensity to run. He seems not to care where he goes, 

 but runs for the most part in a straight line, seldom turning out of his 

 way, and rarely attempting to bite unless he be obstructed in his course ; 

 and then he turns savagely upon his real or fancied assailant, and 

 furiously snaps and bites without fear or reason. 



The average time of the appearance of this disease after the bite is 

 from three weeks to six months, its duration is four or five days, and no 

 remedy has been as yet discovered. 



With regard to people bitten by rabid animals, the wound ought to 

 be immediately cauterized, either with lunar caustic or by a red-hot iron, 



