29G DISEASES OF TRUE INFECTION 



uncertainty in the gait and a weakness in the hind-quarters. Constipation 

 is invariably present. After a short space of time, generally from one to 

 three days, the second stage appears. This is the irritable or maniacal 

 stage. This is characterized: 1. By a tendency to escape and run away; 

 2. by a great irritation and an inclination to bite animals, objects, or 

 man; 3. by a strange alteration in the voice, or bark. 



The inclination to run off is very marked. They will eat through 

 wooden boxes or floors, tear chains apart, or dig great distances through 

 earth. As soon as they get their liberty they will run about aimlessly, 

 covering very much ground in a short space of time, and return in one or 

 two days, showing every indication of great excitement or of having 

 travelled long distances. When they return they are covered with dirt 

 and utterly exhausted, and may be very quiet and well behaved for a 

 short time. During this condition they bite any object that comes 

 in their way. Soon the delirium increases and they run around in an 

 insane way, attacking and biting anything that is within their reach, 

 snarling or biting all the time, and if they are confined they bite at the 

 bars and frequently break their teeth, and if a stick is held toward them 

 they attack it furiously. As a rule these cases do not tear or mutilate 

 their own bodies, and, if they do, they generally bite the region of the 

 wound where they were formerly bitten or the toes of the posterior ex- 

 tremites. In the first stage of the disease we have often noticed that they 

 will lick and bite places where they have had wounds before. The 

 patients snap frequently, as if they were catching flies, and, as a rule, will 

 bite any animal that will come within their reach. 



The biting and delirium are not constant, but appear after alternate 

 periods of rest, followed by uncontrollable delirious attacks, especially 

 if another dog should come near. These attacks may occur at intervals 

 varying from one to four hours. The peculiar change in the voice is due 

 to a paralysis of the vocal cords, and the sound of the bark is prolonged 

 into a higher vocal sound, so that it makes a combination between a howl 

 and a bark, which has been described by different authors as a "howling" 

 bark. This is harsh and shrill. Repugnance to water does not exist 

 in the dog as in man, but toward the end of the second stage, from 

 paralysis of the muscles of deglutition, we see great difficulty in swallow- 

 ing, and very often see an animal pick up some indigestible object, at- 

 tempt to swallow it, and, not svicceeding, drop it from its mouth. Fre- 

 quently the animal will lap out of his bowl, but it is seen if observed 

 closely that he does not swallow any of it, on the other hand animals 

 may cower and draw away from water that has been spilled on the floor 

 of the cage. Vomiting sometimes occurs. There is great difficulty 

 in defecation, which seems to produce evident pain. There is very little 

 alteration in respiration, l)ut it may Ix' slightly increased. The pulse is 



