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an affected animal. It has been observed, that, from the introduction 

 of the germ into the body, to the period at which the malady is made 

 manifest, the time varies to a great extent ; in some cases, only a few 

 days elapse, while in others, months, and even years, intervene. 



607. Symptoms. — In this, as m most affections of the brain and 

 nervous system, the first thing noticeable, particularly in the dog, is 

 great dullness, accompanied by periods of excitement, that are without 

 apparent cause. An affected dog has a tendency to eat all sorts of 

 rubbish, dirt, feathers, leather, &c. ; it snaps and bites at anything 

 which may come in its path, but will not go out of its way to do so. 

 Again, the nature of the animal is quite changed ; if it has previously 

 been very mild and docile, it will become quite irritable and inclined 

 to bite its best friend, and vice versa. It also has a tendency to go off 

 by itself, going with a peculiar lounging, swinging gait, taking little or 

 no notice of anything unless interfered with. The head and ears 

 hang in a limp, loose fashion ; it foams at the mouth, and its eyes are 

 bloodshot, with a peculiar sullen far-off look. The bark or howl of a 

 rabid dog once heard, is never forgotten. If the animal is not 

 destroyed, death is generally preceded by convulsions and paralysis. 

 On account of the great danger following in the wake of a rabid 

 animal, it should be destroyed immediately the fact that the disease is 

 rabies has been established. Directly a bite is inflicted, the parts 

 ought to be well washed with a mixture, made of one part carbolic 

 acid, and four parts water ; or it should be dressed with tincture of 

 iron. The wound may be cauterised, and caustics in solution answer 

 best, as they get well into the bottom of the wound ; solid caustics are 

 not so reliable. 



608. Pasteur, the great French scientist, who, for a number of 

 years, devoted a great amount of time and ability to conducting 

 experiments, in order to find a preventive for this direful scourge, at 

 last found, that portions of the spinal cord of rabbits, which he 

 had previously rendered rabid, by inoculating with the virus, could be 

 attenuated to a variety of strengths. When these preparations of the 

 virus of rabies are injected daily into the body of a patient that has 



