RABIES — MADNESS. 305 



to escape ; he gnaws his kennel almost to pieces. If a 

 dog or a strange person comes within his reach, he flies 

 at them with the greatest fury; sometimes he does 

 not respect even his master ! 



He is in incessant action : he scrapes his bed under 

 his chest : he disposes of it in a thousand ways, and 

 yet is unable to make himself comfortable; and every 

 now and then he lifts his head, and utters a howl 

 altogether characteristic of the mad dog. 



If he is enabled to effect his escape, he wanders 

 hither and thither ; as though he found relief in 

 motion ; he surmounts every obstacle in order to get 

 away; he travels many and many a mile; yet he 

 seldom goes out of his way to injure any thing, but 

 he flies at the creature that may cross his path ; he 

 gives the bite, and hastens onward. If he is not 

 stopped in his career, he at length becomes wearied ; 

 he finds his way home, and curls himself up in his 

 kennel. He appears to sleep away twelve or twenty- 

 four hours ; after which, if he has the opportunity, he 

 sallies out again, and snaps at all who by coming near 

 to him excite his irritability. 



His appetite is variable ; sometimes he will eat his 

 usual food, and at other times he will totally neglect 

 it. But, almost always, he is possessed by a Sin- 

 gularly depraved appetite: he eats his own excre- 

 ment; laps his own urine; and fills his stomach with 

 every abominable thing. His thirst is always in- 

 creased, and when he can get at water he may in his 

 eagerness bury his head in the fluid, but the swollen 

 state of the fauces forbids a drop to pass into the 

 parched and inflamed stomach. 



