100 RABIES, OR MADNESS. 



RABIES, OR MADNES.s. 



This is another and fearful disease of the nervous system. It results from the bile 

 of a rabid animal, and, most commonly, of the companion and friend of the horse — 

 the coach-dog. The account now given of this malady is extracted from lectures 

 which the author of the present work delivered to his class. 



" There is occasional warning of the approach of this disease in the horse, or rather 

 of the existence of some unusual malady, the real nature of which is probably niis- 

 taken. A mare, belonging to Mr. Karslake, had during ten days before the recoirni- 

 tion of the disease been drooping, refusing her food, heaving at tlie tlanks, and pawing 

 occasionally. It was plain enough that she was indisposed, but at length the furious 

 lit came upon jier, and she destroyed almost everything in the stable in the course of 

 an hour. The late ]Mr. Moneyment had a two-years old colt brought to his establish- 

 ment. It was taken ill in the afternoon of the preceding day, when it lirst attracted 

 attention by refusing its food, and throwing itself down and getting up again imme- 

 diately. From such a description, INIr. Moneyment concluded that it was a case of 

 cholic; but, when he went into the yard, and saw the pony, and observed his wild 

 and anxious countenance, and his excessive nervous sensibility, he was convinced 

 that something uncommon was amiss with him, although he did not at first suspect 

 the real nature of the case. 



The early symptoms of rabies in the horse have not been carefully observed or well 

 recorded ; but, in the majority of cases, so far as our records go, there will not often 

 be premonitory symptoms sufficiently decisive to be noticed bj- the groom. 



The horse goes out to his usual work, and, for a certain time and distance, performs 

 it as well as he had been accustomed to do; then he stops all at once — trembles, 

 heaves, paws, staggers, and falls. Almost immediately he rises, drags his load a 

 little farther, and again stops, looks about him, backs, staggers, and falls once more. 

 This is not a fit of megrims — it is not a sudden determination of blood to the brain, 

 for the horse is not for a single moment insensible. The sooner he is led home the 

 better, for the progress of the disease is as rapid as the first attack is sudden; and, 

 possibly, he will fall twice or thrice before he reaches his stable. 



In the great majority of cases — or rather, with very few exceptions — a state of 

 excitation ensues, which is not exceeded by that of the dog under the most fearful 

 form of the malady, but there are intervals when, if he had been naturally good- 

 tempered and had been attached to his rider or his groom, he will recognise his former 

 friend and seek his caresses, and bend on him one of those piteous, searching looks 

 which, once observed, will never be forgotten: but there is danger about this. Pre- 

 sently succeeds another paroxysm, without warning and witliout control ; and there 

 is no safety for him who had previously the most complete mastery over the animal. 



I was once attending a rabid horse. Tlie owner would not have him destroyed, 

 under the vain hope that I had mistaken a case of piirenitis for one of rabies, and that 

 the disease might yield to the profuse abstraction of blood that I had been prevailed 

 on to effect, and the purgative influence of the farina of the croton-nut with which he 

 had been abundantly supplied in an early stage of the malady. I insisted upon his 

 being slung, so that we were protected from injury from his kicking or plunging. He 

 would bend his gaze upon me as if he would search me through and through, and 

 •would prevail on me, if I could, to relieve him from some dreadful evil by which he 

 was threatened. He would then press his head against my bosom, and keep it there 

 a minute or more. All at once, however, the paroxysm would return. He did not 

 attempt to bite me ; but, had it not been for the sling, he would have plunged furiously 

 about, and I might have found it difficult to escape. 



I had previously attended another horse, which the owner refused to have destroyed, 

 and to which attendance I only consented on condition of the animal being slung. 

 He had been bitten in the near hind-lejr. When I approached him on that side, he 

 did not attempt to bite me, and he cculd not otherwise injure nic : but he was agitated 

 and trembled, and struggled as well as he could ; and if I merelv tor.ched him Avith 

 my finger, the pulsations were quickened full ten beats in a minute. When, how- 

 ever, I went round to the offside, he permitted me to pat him, and 1 Iiad to encounter 

 his imploring gaze, and his liead was pressed against me — and then presently would 



