BABIES CANINA, OR HYDROPHOBIA. 451 



BABIES CANINA, OR HYDROPHOBIA. 



This disorder occurs in an idiopathic form, in animals 

 of the canine species viz., the domestic dog, wolf, and 

 fox. It is communicable to all other warm-blooded ani- 

 mals by contagion, being characterised at all times by a 

 train of symptoms which indicate great nervous derange- 

 ment, though we cannot trace anatomically the changes 

 which occur in the nervous system in this disease. The 

 term Hydrophobia applies only to a symptom of this disease 

 as it manifests itself in man ; it signifies a dread of liquid, 

 and, although mad dogs have been called hydrophobic, it 

 is rare to see any symptom of such a condition in the lower 

 animals. 



Causes. Little or nothing is known of the causes which 

 induce rabies, primarily, in a dog or wolf. Our notions of 

 the dog-days bear testimony to the popular belief that ex- 

 cessive heat and prolonged thirst send dogs mad; but scien- 

 tific men have shown that the disease is as common in 

 winter as in summer, and that the malady is unknown in 

 many parts of the tropics, whereas it is most prevalent 

 over the temperate European continent. 



The geographical distribution of rabies would indicate 

 that it is principally due to contagion ; and if we only in- 

 vestigate the occurrence of the disease in the United King- 

 dom, we shall find that the malady prevails most where 

 the chances of communication are greatest. It is occasion- 

 ally prevalent in England, and especially in the midland 

 and southern counties ; it occurs most frequently in Ire- 

 land ; and it is an extremely rare disease in Scotland. Not 

 a little has been said regarding rabies in dogs in Scotland, 

 but I have never seen a case during eight years, and Pro- 

 fessor Christison assures me that for many years all his 



