Rabies. 137 



to do so is often thrown into convulsions. The animal 

 will take water as long as it is able to swallow anything. 

 The paralysis gradually extends and death usually takes 

 place in four or five days after the first symptoms are 

 noted. 



In the dumb type the nervousness is not present, the 

 first symptom is usually paralysis of the muscles of the 

 throat. This often leads the owner to think the dog is 

 choking and an effort may be made to remove the sus- 

 pected object by inserting the hand into the mouth. 

 This is a very dangerous thing to do for the saliva is in- 

 fectious and if the hand should be scratched in the 

 operation there is danger that rabies may develop. Even 

 the licking of the hand by a rabid animal may serve to 

 infect a person if there is any sore or abrasion of the skin. 

 The extent of the danger from bites depends to a large 

 degree upon the location of the bite. If the teeth of the 

 dog pass through the clothing, the saliva, which carries 

 the virus, will, generally, be wiped off. The disease will 

 be far less likely to follow than if the bite is on an un- 

 protected part as the face or hands. In like manner a 

 long-haired dog is more protected than a short-haired 

 one. As previously stated the danger also depends upon 

 the severity of the bites. People bitten by rabid wolves 

 more often develop the disease than those bitten by dogs 

 because the bites are likely to be more extensive. An- 

 other fallacy connected with rabies is that if persons or 

 animals are bitten by any dog, they are likely to become 

 rabid should thejiog contract the disease at any future 

 time. There is, of course, absolutely no foundation for 

 this impression, for the disease is transmitted only by 

 an animal that is diseased at the time the wound is in- 

 flicted. 



