DISEA SES OF THE NEB VO US S YS TEM. 169 



easily made than they imagine, for not only in these but in other diseases 

 unmentioned, there occur symptoms resembling somewhat those of the 

 dread malady. Again it must be remembered that fear prejudices reason, 

 dulls perception, and blunts judgment ; even the thoughts of hydrophobia 

 incite a measure of terror, and important symptoms are overlooked, while 

 many in nowise significant become pronounced. 



As one authority has said, " in forming the diagnosis, we should have 

 constantly before us a picture of the disease as a whole, and never base 

 an opinion upon individual symptoms, such as the propensity to bite, 

 which may be slight, or even entirely absent." 



Passing in review, the characteristic symptoms of the violent form of 

 rabies are : the marked uneasiness, the delirium and very great excite- 

 ment occurring in paroxysmal attacks, the tendency to bite, the efforts to 

 break away, the peculiarly changed voice, the perverted appetite, the 

 rapid emaciation, exhaustion, and invariably fatal termination. 



In the sullen or dumb form the violent stage is omitted or hardly recog- 

 nizable; it runs an extremely rapid course, the animals are quiet and 

 depressed, have but little disposition to bite or run away; early in the 

 disease are paralyzed in the lower jaw, have perverted appetite, changed 

 voice, rarely heard, progressive emaciation and exhaustion, and seldom 

 live beyond the third day. 



preventive Treatment. — Immediately after the bite of an animal pre- 

 sumably rabid, the whole wound should be sucked, and as soon as possible 

 thoroughly cauterized. If there ax-e no abrasions on the lips or tongue, 

 there can be no danger whatever from the virus on the part of the one who 

 applies suction. During the time the lips are employed, the mouth should 

 be frequently rinsed with warm water, and the teeth used freely in gnaw- 

 ing as it were the edges, to keep the wounded vessels open and bleeding. 

 To promote a flow of blood which is decidedly favorable, a cord or hand- 

 kerchief can be tied fairly tight between the wounded part and the body. 

 Suction should be persisted in until the bite can be cauterized, and dis- 

 continued as soon as that operation is possible. If the individual bitten 

 lives at a distance from chemists, and delay must ensue before medicinal 

 caustics are obtained, a hot iron should be depended upon, and the wound 

 thoroughly burned. 



The chemical and corrosive agents penetrate every part of the injury 

 with greater certainty, and when possible they should be secured. The 

 most active are nitric, sulphuric, and carbolic acids, caustic potassa, and 

 nitrate of silver. The latter was strongly urged by Mr. Youatt who cer- 

 tainly proved its efficacy since he was bitten many times and escaped, 

 though he used no other preventive; he also observed instances in which 

 out of several animals bitten by the same dog, those which were cauter- 



