DISEASES OF THE OX AND SHEEP. 291 



the violence or the intensity which characterises the rabies of dogs. Indeed, 

 this malady in the ox is not quite so dangerous as it wa^ formerly supposed to 

 be. Moreover, certain symptoms (not unlike those of rabies) which may be 

 met with in the ox may be erroneously supposed to be those of rabies. The 

 late M, H. Bouley, in his work on Rabies in the Bovine Species gives the symp- 

 toms as observed by him in 27 cases somewhat as follows : — 



Fi7-st Day. — The animal seems to suffer slight colicky pains, and, if he lies down, 

 almost immediately gets up again. The senses are excited, the temperature 

 rises very suddenly, and itching pains are felt at the seat of the bite. 



Second Day. — The animal is not so greatly agitated, strains slightly, and the 

 temperature of the body as well as at the seat of the bite becomes lower. 



Third Day. — There are signs of commencing paraplegia. The animal strains 

 greatly, and discharges fecal material which is covered with mucus of a yellowish- 

 brown colour. There is loss of sensitiveness of the vertebral column, the temper- 

 ature diminishes, and these symptoms are accompaned by bellowing. 



Fourth Day. — The animal suffers from complete paraplegia, strains violently, 

 discharges excrement which is covered with frothy mucus, foams at the mouth, 

 and bellows still more frequently. 



Fifth Day. — The same or very similar sj'mptoms are manifested. The 

 temperature becomes considerably lower, and bellowing is not so frequent. 

 The sense of taste is not impaired. 



As for the average period of incubation, it was from three to six weeks in 

 about three-fourths of the twenty-seven oxen (out of a herd of eighty) which had 

 been infected by the same dog. In the others it lasted from six weeks to three 

 months. All treatment was futile. The only lesions which were observed 

 after death were on the spinal marrow, which was redder than it usually is in 

 healthy animals, and it was also dotted, especially at about the level of the loins, 

 with numerous spots in the form of lentils. In other parts nothing particular was 

 noticed. Inoculations practised on rabbits with the saliva and with portions of 

 the bulb, diluted, gave rise to rabies in those animals. 



A rabid dog may bring about an immense amount of havoc 

 among sheep. Mr. Harris stated that thirty sheep died within 

 three weeks after being bitten by one mad dog, and nearly 

 all which had been attacked expired before the end of the 

 seventh week. As a rule the disease appears in sheep before 

 the close of the second or at any rate the fourth week ; but it 

 has been known to remain dormant until the eleventh week after 

 the bite has been inflicted. 



After having been bitten by a rabid dog, the sheep follow 

 one anotlier about a great deal for a day or two, during which 

 they lose condition, although they do occasionally eat their 

 food. Then tliey look dull, and the ewes may become paralytic 

 and die almost without a struggle. The lambs have a series 

 of convulsive seizures, in which, after a day or two, they die. 

 When afflicted with this disease, sheep are very thirsty, though 

 perhaps not so insatiably as rabid dogs often are in the later 

 stages of the disease, and they do not exhibit any fear of water. 



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