276 SYSTEM OF KENNEL AND 



had neglected to give liim water, and he had not 

 been let loose. No mad dog had been heard of in 

 the neighbourhood, and therefore we attributed his 

 sudden attack to this cause. We regard it, in short, 

 as spontaneous hydrophobia. On the third day 

 after this dog's death, two of the young hounds 

 — very valuable ones — showing symptoms of the 

 malady, they were immediately taken from the 

 kennel and placed by themselves in a loose-box 

 within the stable_, the window being left quite open, 

 to admit the free circulation of air, and these I 

 resolved to watch and wait upon myself, to see if 

 any remedy could be found to ameliorate their 

 deplorable condition. "We had then a very clever 

 surgeon and general medical practitioner belonging 

 to our hunt, whose assistance and advice were at once 

 solicited, and as readily accorded ; but previously to 

 his arrival we deemed it prudent to administer a 

 strong dose of laudanum to the afflicted hounds, as 

 the only means of subduing the paroxysms incident 

 to this malady. The laudanum produced the effect 

 we expected — the hounds became drowsy and listless 

 — they made no effort to bite each other, and were 

 as quiet and peaceable as if nothing were wrong. 

 They recognized me when approaching, and patting 

 their heads, wagged their tails, and then again 

 lay down to rest — that rest from which they 

 never more awoke in this world — the slumber of 

 death. The doctor came after these two hounds 

 had breathed their last. I told him what I had 

 done. 



'^ You have done madly enough/' was his reply, 



