An Interesting Case. 225 



Wednesday with a small spaniel, an excellent one, and 

 who appeared very well then. On Thursday morning I 

 noticed a great weakness in her hind legs, and later on a 

 most copious discharge of mucus, which hung in lengths of 

 three or four inches on each side of the mouth, and which 

 was so tenacious that I could hardly wipe it off. She had 

 also a great difficulty in swallowing anything. On Friday 

 I sent it to a man who has had great experience with dogs. 

 It had not been at his place long before it was seized with 

 a violent fit, and would doubtless have bit him had he been 

 unprepared. It had several more fits, and yesterday it was 

 destroyed. In the summer it had a habit of snapping at 

 flies, and I noticed several times last week it would go into 

 corners and snap in the same way, although no flies were 

 about. On the Saturday and Sunday morning it took no 

 notice of me, and did not seem to recognise me. I should 

 much like to know your opinion of the case. Was it 

 general paralysis, do you think ? The dog had had dis- 

 temper." Here was a case of rabies in the most pro- 

 nounced form, which an expert would recognise without 

 any difficulty. 



Professor Sir G. T. Brown says, " The history of the 

 case proves beyond all doubt that an experienced sports- 

 man may not only observe the symptoms, but realise 

 their character so well as to be able to describe them 

 with as much accuracy of detail as would be expected 

 of a practised canine pathologist, without entertaining the 

 least suspicion that he was dealing with a rabid dog. The 

 mischief which the animal may have done would be in 

 some measure compensated if every sportsman and owner 

 of dogs in the kingdom could commit ' R. J.'s ' letter to 

 memory, or, at least, hang a copy of it in some conspicuous 



Q 



