210 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



does it is not uncommon, and has a tendency to become epi- 

 zootic; the symptoms then described give a very good idea 

 of the behavior and appearance of a dog with either dumb or 

 furious rabies. Then follows some excellent advice upon the 

 course to be pursued by persons bitten by dogs supposed to 

 be rabid, and also upon the treatment of a dog which has 

 bitten any one. 



Persons are advised against the folly of calling a dog rabid 

 because it bites souie one, and immediately killing it before 

 it is definitely known whether it has rabies or not. In such 

 cases the dog should be confined and kept under observation 

 for several days; if at the end of a week it is apparently 

 healthy, no apprehension need be felt because of rabies. 

 Under such circumstances, never use a rope for tying up a 

 dog, as it may gnaw it in two and escape. The owner of a 

 licensed dog is also cautioned not to turn a dog loose to shift 

 for itself because it appears to be sick or acts strangely, — 

 advice that has been disregarded with unfortunate results in 

 many instances. Josh Billings said, " The meanest thing a 

 man can do to another, except doing him an absolute injury, 

 is to do him a f avor and then keep reminding him of it all the 

 time." But it is meaner still to kick a poor, sick dog out of 

 doors when you don't know what ails him. 



It is also recommended, in conclusion, that the head of a 

 dog supposed to have had rabies should be sent packed in ice 

 to the Cattle Bureau, or to any laboratory ecpLiipped for mak- 

 ing an inoculation test, in order to determine whether or not 

 the animal had this disease at the time of its death. 



Dogs developing rabies often act as though there was an 

 obstruction in the throat, clue to the difficulty in swallowing, 

 because of the paralysis of the pharynx. In these cases don't 

 put a finger down the dog's throat in an attempt to remove 

 the obstruction, as it is often followed by disastrous results. 

 It is dangerous to put the finger or hand in a rabid dog's 

 mouth, even if it should not bite, as the skin might be 

 abraded by a scratch from a tooth, or the virus may be ab- 

 sorbed through a fresh cut or scratch on the hand not in- 

 flicted by the animal's tooth. Many a veterinary surgeon has 

 found out the danger of such a procedure, to his cost. There 



