110 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



splasliing of water, or tlie contact of water on 

 his skin, has no horror for him ; he would drink 

 it, if he could, or even bathe in it. 



Let us noAv turn to the effect of water on the 

 hound or dog really mad from hydrophobia, and 

 this gathered from my own personal observation. 



Between the paroxysms of his madness, if the 

 creature is lying on his bed for the time and in 

 his senses, but exhausted from previous suffering, 

 — during which remission, as I have said before, 

 lie can and will recognize his huntsman, — should 

 water be offered to him, at its approach a terrible 

 excitement and evident horror of it assails him ; 

 he will seize his chain, and would bite the hand 

 which but a moment before he had invited to 

 caress him. Remove the water, and the excite- 

 ment will again subside. If he is not shown the 

 water, but water from a sponge concealed in the 

 hand is sprinkled on him, he will be convulsed; 

 and if the water is not brought near him, but 

 kept out of sight, a noise of splashing the fluid 

 will put him into convulsions. 



Luckily for the human race, cases of real 

 hydrophobia are extremely rare, when it is con- 

 sidered that the poison from the teeth of a thus 



