200 HYDROPHOBIA 



"As death approaches, the animal becomes exhausted and scarcely 

 able to stand; the eyes are dull and sunken, and the expression is that of 

 pain and despair. Paralysis appears in the jaws or in the posterior ex- 

 tremities and extends rapidly to other parts of the body. The animal, be- 

 ing unable to stand, lies extended upon its side; the respiration becomes 

 more and more difficult; there are spasmodic contractions of certain groups 

 of muscles, complete prostration, and death. 



"The ordinary course of the disease is four or five days; it may be 

 as short as two or as long as ten days. 



Dumb Rabies. 



"When this form of the disease is typical, it comes on with restless- 

 ness, depression, a tendency to lick objects, and. paralysis of the muscles, 

 which close the jaws. As a consequence of the paralysis, the lower jaw 

 drops, the animal is unable to close the mouth, the tongue hangs out, and 

 an abundance of saliva escapes. The mucous membrane of the mouth be- 

 comes dry, discolored, and covered with dust. The animal remains quiet, 

 does not respond to provocations, and appears to understand its helpless- 

 ness. As Bouley has said, the animal cannot bite and does not desire to bite. 



"When dumb rabies follows a period in which the animal has been 

 affected with the furious form, the desire and tendency to bite may be" 

 retaine deven after the jaw is paralyzed. 



"The course of the disease is short, death usually occurring in from 

 two to four days. 



"The dumb form of rabies is very common, and many persons know 

 it as 'drop jaw' who have no idea of its true nature. 



"Many of the common mistakes with reference to rabies arise from 

 an imperfect knowledge of the symptoms. It is on this point that there 

 is greatest need of educational work. Bouley has most earnestly warned 

 us to 'distrust. a dog when it shows signs of illness; every sick dog should 

 as a rule be suspected; more particularly distrust a dog when it be- 

 comes dull, morose and seeks for solitude, which appears not to know 

 where to rest, which is always on the move, prowling, snapping at the 

 air, and suddenly barking at nothing when all around is perfectly still, 

 whose countenance is somber, and only assumes its usual animated ex- 

 pression by brief starts; beware of the dog that seeks and scrapes inces- 

 santly, and exhibits aggressive movements against phantoms; and, finally, 

 beware, above all, of the dog which has become too fond of you, and is 

 continually endeavoring to lick the hands or face." 



The Period of Incubation of Rabies. 



The period of incubation of a contagious disease is the time which 

 elapses between the inoculation or exposure and the appearance of the first 

 symptoms. With rabies this period varies remarkably. It may be as short 

 as six or seven days, and it occasionally exceeds one hundred days. In 

 rare cases it has been reported on good authority that a year, or even 

 fourteen months, elapsed between the time the animal was bitten and the 

 time when the disease manifested itself. The majority of cases develop 

 in from three to seven weeks. 



During the greater part of the period of incubation the infected animal 

 is healthy, and would not cause disease in any animal or person which it 

 bites. The saliva may become virulent, however, two or three days before 

 the appearance of the first symptoms, and any animal or person bitten after 

 the contagion has contaminated the saliva is, of course, liable to contract 

 the disease. 



There is a very erroneous and rather stupid belief, quite common, to 

 the effect that if a dog bites a person and becomes mad at any time 

 thereafter the person so bitten will contract hydrophobia. This fallacy 

 may have arisen from some Instance In which a person had been bitten 



