24 THE DOGS OF THE BEITISH ISLANDS. 



OHAPTEE II. 

 INFLAMMATIONS. 



BABIES. 



(IMPROPERLY CALLED HYDROPHOBIA.) 



OST MORTEM examination has not revealed with certainty the exact 

 seat of this disease, but there is little doubt that it is confined to the 

 spinal cord and base of the brain. It is admitted by the medical pro- 

 fession throughout Europe and America that no cure has yet been 

 discovered for this terrible disease, and therefore it will only be 

 needful here to describe the symptoms, so that proper precautions may at once be 

 taken, when they appear, to prevent the dog from communicating the disease by 

 his saliva, or, if he has already bitten man or animal, to stamp it out in the latter 

 case, or in the former to prevent the inoculation from taking effect by absorption. 



The Hon. Grantley Berkeley has taken on himself of late years, with very little 

 experience of rabies, to resuscitate the long exploded fallacy that the rabid dog 

 may be distinguished from the animal whose brain is only attacked in an ordinary 

 way, by the fear of water, which the former, as he alleges, always displays. Every 

 modern authority is against him, yet he fearlessly recommends owners of dogs 

 which are attacked by madness of any form to run all sorts of risks so long as they 

 show no fear of water. He says they may handle such patients with perfect 

 impunity ; and as his name stands high with the multitude because of his position 

 in the world of sport, he is likely to mislead a good many into taking his advice. 

 My own experience is not much greater then his in true rabies, having only seen 

 three cases of it ; but, as far as it goes, it is dead against him, there being no fear 

 of water in either of the cases seen by me, but, on the contrary, a strong desire 

 and craving for it. In each case the disease was propagated from, and in two of 

 them both from and to, others ; so that there could be no doubt of its being true 

 rabies. Still, I should lay little stress on so limited a number, and prefer to rest 

 the question on the general opinion of the medical profession, which, as I said 

 before, is unaminous on this point, and I shall therefore dismiss it as settled 

 without further discussion. 



The symptoms of canine madness are very much the same in all cases, though 

 varying somewhat in their manifestations. The first and most marked is a change 

 of disposition and temper, so that the naturally good tempered dog becomes 

 morose and snappish, and those which are usually fondling in their manners are 

 shy and retiring. Sometimes the change is even so great that the usually shy dog 

 becomes bold ; but this is not nearly so common as the opposite extreme. Generally 



