1 62 specific and Contagious Diseases. 



hydrophobia, or the human subject as being rabid. The 

 dread of water applies to the latter, in whom the disease 

 is correctly hydrophobia. 



Frothing or foaming at the mouth is also believed in as 

 a sure sign of rabies. It is a certain condition of this 

 disease that the secretion of foam, or large quantities of 

 saliva worked into innumerable air bubbles, is often 

 impossible, by reason of the congested state of the blood- 

 vessels and the salivary glands. 



T\\Q fits of epilepsy Ylbnq frequently been mistaken for 

 rabies. It is almost needless to state that rabid dogs do 

 not become unconscious and fall, as is common with the 

 epileptic sufferer, or the young dog in distemper. 



There are, doubtless, other conditions which may 

 resemble, more or less, certain stages of rabies, but on 

 careful consideration it will be found they are unassociated 

 with the disease. Hasty conclusions must be carefully 

 avoided, and in the absence of absolute proof it is a zvise 

 proceeding to withhold decisive judgment; place the suspe-ted 

 animal in a seaire cage, rooin, 6^^., andwa't the issue of a 

 syste7natic course of observation. 



With regard to curative methods and remedies sug- 

 gested, their name is legion and the results of their 

 application ;///. The truly rabid dog should be sum- 

 marily destroyed before he commits any damage, unless 

 some special reason exists for sparing his life. The body 

 should be burned as the only safe and expeditious 

 method of destroying the virus also, thus limiting the 

 possibilities of spreading the disease. Thorough cleans- 

 ing and disinfection of yards, kennels, beds, baskets, &c. 

 &c., occupied by the sufferers (the object being the 

 destruction ot <tiiy saliva) should follow, and as an 

 efficient agent black ashes in boiling water cannot be 

 surpassed. Its great drawback is its effectual removal of 

 paint from woodwork ; where this is an objection, strong 

 soap solution with crude " Sanitas " will answer effectu- 

 ally. Those who engage in this work should first see 

 they have no open sores or scratches on their hands, &c., 

 and in all cases the first ivashings %\iOw\di be accomplished 

 by means of brushes having long handles ; subsequent 



