INTOXICATION. 85 



of the Avino and spirits, of which he was, nevertheless, 

 very fond. In the majority of cases the animal indulges its 

 liking till insensibility, unconsciousness, helplessness super- 

 vene. Just as in human dipsomania, no sort of personal 

 consideration prevents the gratification of the morbid appe- 

 tite. All the usual caution, love of life, fear of danger, 

 affection for young, dread of punishment, are forgotten ; all 

 experience of capture or of suffering goes for nothing. The 

 propensity becomes inveterate, incurable : it is a veritable 

 form of moral insanity. 



One debauch usually leads to another. But there are 

 cases in which a single experience of the effects of alcohol is 

 sufficient to make an animal a teetotaller for life, by in- 

 spiring it with a disgust at, which leads to refusal of, every- 

 thing alcoholic, including ordinary articles of food steeped 

 in, or saturated with alcohol, experimentally by man. Such 

 animals have had the exceptional sense, courage, force of 

 will, to profit by their disagreeable experience. Thus a fox- 

 terrier of Mrs. Mackellar's, having had a glassful of whiskey 

 forced down its throat one New Year's Eve by a number of 

 waggish sailors, naturally became furious and dangerous for 

 the moment. But he never could bear even the smell of 

 drink ' again, even in men, his usual companions and play- 

 fellows. 



In many dogs and other animals the mere sight or smell 

 of a spirit bottle or of alcoholic spirits inspires repugnance 

 or disgust in most cases from the association of ideas 

 of former suffering, the result of some of man's barbarous 

 practical jokes. Thus in a baboon intemperance was effec- 

 tually cured by firing some brandy, of which it had become 

 fond (Cassell). In this case terror inspired by the flame, 

 connected ever afterwards with the sight and smell of 

 brandy, was probably the most efficient element in the 

 cure. 



Dr. Murray Lindsay, of Derby, to whom I am indebted 

 for various interesting dog-stories, tells me that a dog of his 

 would not touch spirits of any kind, but was exceedingly 

 fond of sugar ; and that when sugar was, for experimental 

 purposes, steeped in whiskey, brandy, or other forms of 



