94 NOTITIA VENATICA. 



evidently been introduced amongst them by inoculation, as it was a well- 

 known fact that about three weeks or a month prior to its first appear- 

 ance, when hunting at that celebrated cover, Woolford Wood, the 

 hounds were joined by a cur-dog, which was observed by the Avhipper-in 

 to quarrel with and bite several of them. By taking the precaution of 

 separating the hounds, upon the madness first breaking out, the re- 

 mainder, about fifteen couples of valuable bitches, were saved. Thomas 

 Day, the huntsman, was bitten in the hand while administering a ball 

 to one after she had become attacked, but a timely application of the 

 knife, and lunar caustic, efi"ectually prevented any fatal consequences,* 

 As to the cui'e — I do not believe that any faith whatever can be placed 

 in any remedy excepting the knife and caustic, by a timely application 

 of which the progress of the malady may be safely arrested previous to 

 the second circulation taking place through the absorbents, and 

 which is necessary to enable the virus to produce " confirmed rabies." 



The second instance which I have to record, is the destruction of part 

 of Mr. Hall's hounds, which hunted Somersetshire. The malady Avas 

 traced to a terrier wliicli belonged to the pack, and which had been 

 bitten by a wild-looking setter dog during one of the hunting days. 

 The hounds were divided into a large and a small pack, and it Avas the 

 large pack which Avero out on this unfortunate day ; amongst this lot, 

 every single hound either died raving mad or was destroyed upon sus- 

 picion of having been bitten ; but in the small pack, not one single in- 

 stance of rabies occurred. During the same year, but rather later in 

 the season, Mr. H. Combe's hounds — which had formerly been so cele- 

 brated when the property of that excellent sportsman, Mr. Osbaldeston 

 — ^were taken into Lincolnshire to " hunt the April month" in Sir K. 

 Sutton's woodlands. They travelled by water from London, and Avhile 

 waiting at one of the Avharfs before embarking, a cur dog was obseiwed 

 by W. Gardner, the boiler, who Avas one of the persons attendant upon 

 the hounds, to Avrangle Avith them and bite several of them. No parti- 

 cular notice was taken at the time, it being looked upon as an incident 

 frequently occurring to hounds when travelling. However, AAathin about 

 three weeks of the time, several couples of them died mad ; the rest 

 were only saved by separating them. 



I will relate one more instance of hounds going mad in the kennel, 

 from being bitten, before I close these few observations. I received the 

 account from that Avell-knoAvn old sportsman. Major Blagrave, Avho was 

 master of a pack of harriers for many years. In the year 1806, the 

 major i-esided as Ashdown Park, in Berkshire, and Avas at that time in 

 possession of a very clever pack of harriers. Upon the puppies coming 

 up from their quarters in the spring, he was informed that one of them 



* William Smith, huntsman to the late Earl of Yarborough, had the credit of pos- 

 sessing a recipe which is a certain cure for the malady, and which had been haaded 

 down from father to son for several generations. Whether it is infallible or not I 

 cannot pretend to say ; but it is a well known fact that it has been frequently used 

 with supposed success ; and amongst other patients who have availed themselves of 

 it, we may mention Jem Shirley, the present huntsman to Sir J. Cope, who was 

 bitten by a, mad dog some years since iu Ireland. 



