OR CANINE MADNESS. 203 



opportunities have been, they, however, are much exceeded by those 

 of Mr. Youatt ; for he not only partook in very many of those from 

 which I drew my conclusions, but also of a still greater number 

 since ; and how intent he has been in forming accurate notions of 

 the disease, his extensive experiments on it, and his published 

 accounts, will testify. His sentiments on this head, therefore, cannot 

 fail to have weight ; and what are they ? After debating the point 

 in his pamphlet before noticed, he says, "I think we are justified in 

 concluding, from the foregoing statement, that rahies is produced 

 hy inoculation alone" The " / think" was pure parlance, and 

 meant assurance strojig, as reference to the work will shew. 



The Alleged Causes of Rabies. 



The remote causes of spontaneous 7'abies, as advocated by the 

 favourers of that doctrine, are various. Heat has long been con- 

 sidered as a grand agent, but the direct proofs to the contrary are 

 fast wearing away this prejudice. It is known that many countries 

 under the torrid zone are entirely free from canine madness : 

 and in such hot countries as it is found, it does not appear that by 

 the heat of the climate it gains any accession to its frequency or 



the truth, which was this, — that the gardener to the family remembered, one 

 night in bed, hearing an unusual noise, as though the Newfoundland dog was 

 quarrelling with another, but which, from the dog's confined situation, made 

 hhii believe was impossible, and he therefore took no notice of the subject. 

 He also recollected, that, about this time, marl^s of a dog appeared in his 

 garden, which, on account of the height of the wall, surprised him ; and he 

 further remembered, that remains of hair were discovered on the wall which se- 

 parated the garden from the yard where the dog was confined, but which cir- 

 cumstances, until strict inquiry was made, had excited no attention. About the 

 same time, the neighbourhood, it appeared, had been alarmed by the absence 

 of a large dog belonging to one of the inhabitants, which had escaped from 

 confinement during the night, evidently under symptoms of disease. Here, 

 also, a ready solution of the difficulty occurred ; and there is no reason to 

 doubt but that the cases detailed by Dr. Gilman and Mr. Dewhurst originated 

 under circumstances equally accidental and uuuoticed — See Mr. Youatt on the 

 subject-, aho Veterinarian, "No. 33. 



