OR CANINE MADNESS. 199 



was and still is fettered. Although, for ages, even, the plague 

 has hardly been more dreaded, yet in this, as well as in other 

 countries^ no equally important subject has been less understood 

 or more misrepresented. As already shewn, its popular name of 

 madness conveys an erroneous and hurtful impression with regard 

 to it ; and where it has been called hydrophobia, it has tended to 

 keep alive an absurdity greater than the other. The wormed dog 

 (one which has lost the frsenum of the tongue) is still by many 

 thought to be rendered incapable of taking the disease ; by others, 

 however, he is only considered harmless if he does become aflFected : 

 both are errors of the grossest kind, and lead to very serious 

 dangers. That a mad dog carries his tail between his legs — that 

 he is instinctively avoided by others — that bread, meat, &c. be- 

 smeared with the saliva, blood, or any of the secretions of a mad 

 dog, is refused with horror by others — that the bite of a healthy 

 dog, should he become at any time afterwards rabid, is dangerous — 



tunities extended to the personal and minute examination of many thousand 

 cases ! ! ! As regards this truly acute author, and I believe generally respected 

 man, I would say, with Mr. Youatt, '' Requiescat in pace ;" but I conceive the 

 cause of truth rendered it imperative on me to resist this attack as I have done ; 

 for Dr. Parry must ever be considered as a formidable antagonist, wherever 

 science offered an arena; and as the " Addicti jurare in verba magistri" is apt 

 to influence the opinion of those who either want leisure, inclination, or ability 

 to think for themselves, and as I conceive that the errors he advocated were of 

 vital importance to the safety of mankind, I do hope to rebut them, and to 

 make the contrary apparent in the course of my description of the disease. 



* In the former edition I offered proofs, that the errors and prejudice which 

 existed on the subject among our French neighbours also were little less than 

 our own ; neither did such notices as had reached me from Germany, Spain, and 

 Italy, evince more just views of it. The demi-official publication of Messrs. 

 Enaux and Chaussier, that had been brought forward at the express instance 

 of the French government, was a meagre performance. Mons. Trolliet is 

 much better, but can hardly be pronounced good. Hurtrel D'Arboval, with 

 his usual acumen, has gleaned the best, yet has not made a harvest ; but I 

 have reason to believe the subject is advancing fast there, as well as here, and 

 we already have to own many powerful competitors in their authors. Dr. 

 Hertwig, Professor of the Veterinary School at Berlin, has lately published 

 the best summary of symptoms that 1 have met with in any continental work. 



