182 i HYDROPHOBIA 



HYDROPHOBIA 



The followng article, (with some additions), is the one in my last book, 

 and it cannot well be improved on, but have added some strong words 

 against Hydrophobia, the side- 1 fight on, as, since this was written, fifteen 

 years ago, my non-believe in hydrophobia has been made stronger, as during 

 this period I have been bitten several times, and quite badly chewed up by 

 dogs that — by all the symptoms that are supposed to exist, and yet I am 

 here, writing another book, and none the worse for the bites. 



' "Germs" are now very fashionable with doctors, (before we had 

 so many "germs" there were not nearly so many sick and dying people as 

 there are now), but now most all verterinarians, and some doctors, get out 

 of hydrophobia the easiest way they can, by calling it a "germ." I would 

 like to see one of these "germs." 



Appendicitis, now so fashionable also, in humans, and an operation 

 almost invariably necessary, (the patient often dying, but "operation very 

 successful"), and it's a wonder the poor dog has as yet not gotten this trou- 

 ble. 



To speak out plain and honest, I do not believe in hydrophobia at all, 

 for I don't believe what I don't see, and a good deal that I do see. Many 

 others, and among them noted authorities, however, do believe in the exis- 

 tence of such a disease, and in writing on this subject I shall give you my 

 own ideas and belief, and also those of others more noted than myself — 

 so you can read it all and believe as you like. 



I have spent a lot of time since my first book in collecting additional 

 information and statistics on this subject, as it is an important one to know 

 all about that you can, and I consider that in this article all has been 

 said that can be said. The authorities I quote, pro. and con., are eminent, 

 and the case is now presented to you, the jury, to decide: 



It might be considered presumptious and egotistical in me to say that 

 there is no such disease, but I can honestly say that I have never seen a 

 case, and don't believe in it, and I have as good a right today to have "gone 

 mad" as any one who was ever bitten by a dog, for I carry scars on my 

 body that have been there for many years — from bites of dogs — and I 

 have been bitten hundreds of times in the past thirty years. While I am 

 writing this article I have five sores on my right wrist received yesterday 

 from a boarder, a mastiff, but I fully expect to be able to finish this book 

 and live for many years yet, long enough at least to see it in the hands of 

 every dog owner in this country; in fact, I never had time to "go mad." 



In handling dogs of all breeds, strange dogs, curs and thoroughbreds, 

 incidental to having been a "dog crank" for thirty-five years, it necessarily 

 follows that I have had a vast and varied experience, and .could not have 

 done all this and not get bitten. The bite from a dog does not trouble 

 me any more than if I cut my finger, which might be inconvenient and 

 bothersome for a few days. The only thing I have ever done when bitten, 

 if the bite was on a part of the body where I could get my lips to it, 

 was to at once suck the blood from the place bitten and spit it out. This 

 ends the matter there and then with me. There might have been danger 

 of blood poisoning, as there always is from a wound, but if so, how simple 

 to suck out this poison and at once get rid of all danger by spitting out 

 the poison you have abstracted from the wound. It must be done imme- 

 diately, however. Is there anything more simple than this? 



In case you are bitten on any portion of the body that you could not 

 get at to suck the wound, or some one was not near to do this for you, 



