HYDROPHOBIA, BABIES, OB MADNESS. 325 



an evident character of inflammation ; but it never equals the in- 

 creased discharge that accompanies epilepsy or nausea. The 

 frothy spume, at the corners of the mouth, is not for a moment to 

 be compared with that which is evident enough in both of these 

 affsctions. It is a symptom of short duration, and seldom lasts 

 longer than twelve hours. The stories that are told of the mad 

 dog, covered with froth, are altogether fabulous. The dog recov- 

 ering from, or attacked by a fit may be seen in this state, but not 

 the rabid dog. Fits are often mistaken for rabies, and hence the 

 delusion. 



" The increased secretion of saliva soon passes away. It lessens 

 in quantity and becomes thick, viscid, adhesive, and glutinous. It 

 clings to the corners of the mouth, and probably more annoyingly 

 so to the membrane of the fauces. The human being is sadly 

 distressed by it. He forces it out with the greatest violence, or 

 utters the falsely supposed bark of a dog, in his attempts to eject 

 it from his mouth. This symptom occurs in the human being 

 when the disease is fully established, or at a late period of it. The 

 dog furiously attempts to brush away the secretion with his paws. 

 It is an early symptom in the dog, and it. can scarcely be mistaken 

 in him. When he is fighting with his paws at the corners of his 

 mouth, let no one suppose that a bone is sticking between the 

 poor fellow's teeth ; nor should any useless and dangerous effort 

 be made to relieve him. If all this uneasiness arose from a bone 

 in the mouth, the mouth would continue permanently^ open, instead 

 of closing when the animal for a moment discontinues his efforts. 

 If after a while he loses his balance and tumbles over, there can 

 b3 no longer any mistake. It is the saliva becoming more and 

 more glutinous, irritating the fauces and threatening suffocation. 

 To this naturally and rapidly succeeds an insatiable thirst 

 The dog that still has full power over the muscles of his jaws con- 

 tinues to lap. He knows not when to cease, and the poor fellow 

 whose jaw and tongue are paralyzed, plunges his muzzle into the 

 water-dish to his very eyes, in order that he may get one drop of 

 water into the back part of his mouth to moisten and to cool his dry 

 and parched fauces. Hence, instead of this disease being always 



