306 WORMING. 



When, therefore, the more ingenioui and intelligent of the fa- 

 vourers of worming urge its adoption on the grounds of the ^ne- 

 chanical properties of this part, they may seem, on a superficial 

 view, to take 'vantage ground ; but it is on a superficial view only 

 that it can so appear. I have repeatedly examined the fraenum in 

 the raging variety, both in living and in dead subjects. I have 

 likewise done the same in the dumb variety, and in both, as re- 

 gards the fraBnulum, the appearances were the same ; for the ci- 

 catrix made by the removal of it nearly filled up the linear dimen- 

 sions of the median line to a similar appearance with that of the 

 unwormed dog. But I would ask. If the removal only of this fas- 

 ciculus of fibres acts so powerfully as to wholly prevent the tongue, 

 when swollen, from being withdrawn into the mouth ; how is it 

 that the removal of it in worming is never found to offer the 

 smallest impediment to the lapping of fluid afterwards? The 

 fraenum is a salutary check to the lingual motions generally, but 

 to all retroverted ones particularly ; yet it has nothing whatever to 

 do with the partial incapacity to bite, as is most readily seen by the 

 attentive observer : for the dog afflicted with the worst paroxysm 

 of rabies even can in all general cases lap ; consequently he can 

 also withdraw his tongue within his mouth : it is the doubling up 

 of his tongue into a spoon- shape, to carry the fluid there, that he 

 cannot effect ; but which difficulty is not the result of the loss of 

 the fraenum, but from the general engorgement of the base of the 

 organ in common with all the parts concerned in deglutition through- 

 out. It is true that this tumefaction, usually present in the ad- 

 vanced stages of- dumb madness, does prevent many of them 

 from biting ; but it does so equally in the unwormed as the wormed 

 dog, as I have witnessed and have particularly observed in a great 

 number of instances. There is not the smallest diff'erenc& between 

 them. Further also ; the wormed dog, in every instance, can bite 

 during the Jirst stage of the disease. I have seen scores of such 

 which have fatally bitten others during the early part of the attack ; 

 and many can, by an effort of much excitement, as a stick offered 

 to them, &c, bite throughout the whole continuance of it. 



