260 RABIES CANINA5 



black, particularly towards its apex or point: sometimes a 

 black line extends through its whole length. The paralytic 

 aifection of the muscles extending- to the oesophagus, occa- 

 sions a difficulty and sometimes a total inability even to 

 swallow either liquids or solids. In general, however, the 

 inability does not extend so far, but is principally confined to 

 liquids, which are, in such instances, returned as fast as they 

 are lapped, from the incapacity of the pharynx to retain 

 them ; but in no instance do the attempts to swallow appear 

 to excite apprehension or give pain. The mouth itself is 

 sometimes parched and dry, at others it is moist, and a 

 viscid saliva continually flows from it. The tumefaction of 

 the pharynx occasions a deep choaking kind of noise, which 

 sound seems to issue from the bottom of the glottis. In this 

 dumb or milder variety, a spasmodic and paralytic affection 

 often extends also to other parts: in some cases, the whole 

 body becomes affected with it. Others have it only in the 

 loins and hinder extremities. When the morbid affection 

 acts very strongly on the bowels, it often occasions the hinder 

 parts to be drawn forward by a species of tetanic spasm to- 

 ward the fore parts, so as to bend the poor sufferer into a 

 circle ; sometimes it fixes the animal on his rump, upright. 

 In other cases, convulsive twitches, like St. Vitus's dance, 

 are not unfrequently observed. , 



A symptom common to this variety, and not uncommon in 

 the other also, is a disposition to carry straw, or whatever 

 litter the dog can get, about in the mouth, which he ap- 

 pears to make a bed of, frequently altering it, pulling it to 

 pieces and again removing it. It is also very common to ob- 

 serve them scratch their litter under them with their fore 

 feet, not as they do when making their beds, but it is evi- 

 dently done to press the straw or litter to the belly. This 

 peculiarity appears to arise from some particular sympathy 

 with the intestines, which, in these cases, are always after 

 death observed to be very highly inflamed. These cases are 

 also remarkable for a disposition to pick up and to swallow, 

 when not prevented by the affection of the tliroat, indigest- 



