164 RABIES. 



to five weeks. The two extremes in a dog which have been reported are 

 the shortest one week, the longest eight months. 



Rabies assumes two forms ; the violent, and the dumb or sullen. Hertwig 

 has said that two cases rarely correspond. From this it can be appreciated 

 that an accurate description of a disease presenting so many varieties 

 and depending on so many influences, such as age, temperament, condi- 

 tion, etc., is no easy task. 



The violent or furious has been divided by some authors into three 

 stages; the melancholic, irritative, and paralytic. 



At the outset of the disease the animal manifests a changed manner, 

 becoming irritable, sullen, and nervous; his disposition towards those 

 around him is capricious ; to his master he is often even more friendly 

 and confiding, but from others, of whom he seems suspicious, he shrinks, 

 and is easily enraged by their interference. He is disposed to shun com- 

 panionship, slinking away in dark and obscure places, and when called, 

 comes reluctantly, his manner crouching and frightened. In this stage 

 the eyes are slightly reddened and wear a changed expression as has been 

 described, a vacant, far-away, listless look; often they change and in con- 

 sequence of the wrinkles in the forehead, the gaze becomes sullen and 

 ferocious. It is difficult to fix his attention for more than a moment, when 

 his eyes will close in a sleepy manner, and remain shut for several 

 seconds. 



According to the most experienced observers, a perverted appetite is 

 one of the most constant morbid symptoms. Food is the more often re- 

 jected or eaten sparingly, and at times it is taken into the mouth and 

 dropped again. On the other hand, all sorts of indigestible substances- 

 sticks, straw, rags, earth, hair, dung and the like are swallowed. 



The desire to chew something is irresistible, due possibly to a peculiar 

 feeling in the jaws excited by an irritation of the nerves. If allowed in 

 the house he will bite and worry chair-legs, carpets, boots, etc., in fact 

 anything he can fix his jaws upon. A tendency to lap cold objects such as 

 stones, iron, and his own urine is observed. In some cases the sexual 

 desire seems stimulated, as indicated by the disposition to lick the geni- 

 tals of other dogs. A mucous discharge appears at the nose, and the 

 secretions in the mouth and throat become .thick and ropy, which the 

 animal will occasionally make efforts to expel, and possibly attempt to 

 vomit. This trouble about the throat has led to a mistaken diagnosis of a 

 bone being lodged there. 



The duration of this stage denominated the melancholic, may be but a 

 few hours, and rarely over two or three days. It must be remembered 

 that not all the symptoms are uniformly present; in some cases they are 

 few and insignificant, possibly overlooked, or if detected sufficient imp or- 



