40 RABIES (MADNESS). 



rabid horse preserves his consciousness throughout ; 

 which in phrenitis is lost from the beginning. Before 

 a very brief but uncertain period has expired, the 

 mad animal usually becomes violent to an extraordi- 

 nary degree ; stamping, kicking, biting, tearing, and 

 demolishing every thing within his reach. Here, 

 again, the difference between the two complaints is 

 sufficiently manifest ; — the rabid horse knows what he 

 is about, and is trying to do mischief, — the phrenitic 

 horse is struggling and plunging without design or 

 intent to injure. 



There is no remedy but the bullet, and the sooner 

 that is applied the better. 



Although hydrophobia, or the dread of water, is the 

 characteristic of this disorder in the human being, it is 

 singular that, in domesticated animals, and particu- 

 larly in the dog, by whom the disease is often est com- 

 municated to man, it should have no existence. The 

 horse, however, is sometimes an exception to this, for 

 he does occasionally exhibit hydrophobia — either he is 

 unwilling to drink, or the head is violently snatched 

 from the pail in the midst of his drinking ; the muscles 

 of the face are strangely distorted; or he trembles 

 from head to foot. He sometimes falls to the ground 

 convulsed at the sound of dripping water. 



When a horse is known to have been bitten by a 

 mad dog, the wound should either be cut out, or the 

 lunar caustic applied to it, so as to destroy every part 

 of it. If this is carefully done, the probability of 

 danger will be removed. The lunar caustic is the 

 most effectual preventive : a skilful veterinary surgeon 

 should, however, be employed. Medicine will be 



