EABIES. 25 



the rabid dog shows a warning of his coming disease by this change of manner for 

 several days before it breaks out with severity; though I have seen one well- 

 marked attack which began and ended in death within forty-eight hours. This 

 was in a Newfoundland dog, which I bought in perfect health to all appearance, 

 and shut up in order to accustom him to his new master for a week or ten days, 

 feeding him myself at the end of the first twenty-four hours, and observing no 

 change from the usual habits of a strange dog. On the evening of the tenth day, 

 however, after he had appeared in very good spirits, and eaten his dinner from my 

 hand in the morning, he began to show signs of bad temper, and exhibited that 

 peculiar snapping at imaginary objects well described by Mr. Youatt. On the next 

 day he was in a highly rabid state, and died in the night after. When these 

 premonitory symptoms have lasted an uncertain time, varying from twenty-four 

 hours to three or four days, the dog begins to attack imaginary objects, and if real 

 ones are presented to him he will tear them savagely to pieces. He is now 

 exceedingly irritable, and wanders restlessly from place to place, having apparently 

 a strong desire to do something, but not caring what that is, so that he is not 

 quiet. If he is confined by a chain he will try and gnaw it to pieces ; and if 

 restrained by a door within narrow bounds he vents his fury upon that. In this 

 state he knows not the sensation of ordinary pain, but will bite a red-hot poker 

 presented to him exactly as if it were a cold one. As the disease advances water is 

 eagerly swallowed, but in his hurry the dog will generally upset his stock of that 

 fluid ; and hence he is often thought to be unable to swallow, whilst all the time 

 he is burnt up with thirst, and will constantly imbibe it, if he can do so without 

 knocking over the vessel containing it in his haste. The howls and groans are 

 generally peculiarly deep and melancholy, and by them a mad dog in confinement 

 may often be recognised, though sometimes the patient is quite silent, and in that 

 state is said, in common language, to be " dumb mad." When at large, however, 

 no warning noise is made, and the dog seems only determined on a straightforward 

 trot. If he is interfered with in any way, and more especially if he is struck, he 

 will wreak his vengeance on the offender ; but he seldom goes out of his way to do 

 a mischief, and will often pass through crowds of people without biting them ; 

 even if pursued and annoyed by cries and hootings, he takes no notice until he is 

 injured, and then more frequently endeavours to escape into solitude, than turn 

 upon his assailants. This desire to wander appears to me an instinctive attempt to 

 get rid of the disease by muscular action, and if indulged in quietly, I am inclined 

 to think that there might be some chance of a recovery ; but as it would not be 

 wise to run the risk, the experiment can never be tried. The disease is evidently 

 caused by some poison, and, as in other cases, poisons are got rid of by some 

 extraordinary secretion, so I am lead to believe that the wearing down of the 

 muscular, and with it the nervous system by long-continued fatigue, is the natural 

 cure of the disease. 



PREVENTIVE MEASURES are the only ones of service in this complaint, which 

 if fully established, has hitherto been uniformly fatal in all animals attacked by it, 

 including man himself. When a bite has taken place, the best plan is to destroy 



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