LETTER IV. 45 



at once. To this I gave a flat denial, laughed at her 

 fears, and told her that, for the satisfaction of the man 

 that had been bitten, as well as my own, the dog should 

 not be touched by her or any one else, but I did not 

 afterwards trust him out of my sight day or night. In 

 a few days the dog was quite well again. 



I have been rather particular in this case, to satisfy 

 the nervous and timid that a dog may exhibit all the 

 appearances without being in the least affected by rabies 

 canina. I will now relate some cases of decided hydro- 

 phobia which occurred among my own hounds some few 

 years since. There was a large yard dog confined in the 

 stable yard by a long chain to a box ; but I had given 

 directions that he should always be let loose two or three 

 times a week at least, whilst I was absent from home. I 

 have reason to think this was not attended to, and perhaps 

 water not given to him regularly every day, as I had 

 ordered. The day I returned the dog had broken loose, 

 and bitten some of the loose hounds about the place. 

 My whipper-in, being a sensible man, had caught him 

 and shut him up in a place by himself, and immediately 

 brought me the pleasing intelligence that he believed the 

 dog mad, and he could not tell what mischief had been 

 done. Singular enough this dog, after biting other dogs, 

 rushed up to one of my children, who was walking out, 

 and tried to lick his hand. He was a great favourite 

 with the child, who, seeing him covered with foam and 

 dirt, pushed him off, saying, " Get away, Nep, you are 

 so dirty." The dog left him immediately, and jumped 

 into a pond near. A few hours after he was taken up 

 by the whipper-in, and confined in an outhouse. To 

 prevent accidents some of the tiles were taken off the 



