146 THE DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



which he enjoys in common with the remainder of the animal world 

 for any other purpose than they are made to fulfill in the lower 

 animals. 



The doctrine, or rather the belief, in the superior position of 

 man has been altogether too much extended. The pleasure united 

 with the enjoyment of functions is an attribute, as I have said, to 

 their physiologic action, and is no special gift to man. 



Whoever heard of a person taking pleasure in eating with a 

 severe toothache or a sore-throat ? 



The pleasure of taste is united to the functions of mastication, 

 not that man may enjoy the blessings which the Lord has given 

 him, but that the food may remain so long in the mouth that it may 

 be made small, and the starch in it so much changed into dextrin 

 and sugar as to fit it in part for absorption by the organs for that 

 purpose situated deeper down. 



This fact is not stated in any physiology written by man. The 

 chemical changes are, of course, carefully delineated, but the " words 

 between the lines " seem to have entirely escaped physiologists and 

 medical men. Were this not so, did mankind and the ruminants 

 and some other animals not take pleasure in mastication, they would 

 bolt their food like a dog. Some men do ! 



A second axiom is, that where functions do not exist, or are 

 rudimentary, either in individuals or species, certain anatomical, 

 structural differences exist in such organs which, while we may not 

 be able at present to demonstrate their existence, will surely not es- 

 cape the observation of scientists in the future. 



In this regard I hold that the organs of taste are either not de- 

 veloped or very rudimentary in the dog, which bolts its food, the 

 sensation of emptiness (hunger) being uppermost. 



It would be extremely interesting to ascertain if the organs upon 

 which taste depends slowly atrophy and become rudimentary in 

 human beings who have acquired this natural attribute of the canine 

 family — that is, bolting their food. 



To return to our subject. 



Hadi and Bourgelat subjected dogs to starvation in order to see 

 if rabies would develop itself ; but their experiments were followed 

 only by negative results. Menecier received similar results from 

 subjecting dogs for a long-continued period to poor food and care. 

 Pillwax, of Vienna, observed that a larger percentage of rabid dogs 

 came from the homes of wealthy or well-to-do owners. As to the 

 influence which has been hypothetically attributed to sex, the differ- 

 ence falls away when we consider for a moment the great disjmrity 



