506 HYDROPHOBIA. 



stille WutK). The disease, however, is essentially the same 

 in both cases. In the dog the furious form is the more 

 common. After a period of incubation of from three to 

 six weeks, the first symptom noticed is a change in the 

 animal's aspect ; it becomes restless, it snaps at anything 

 which it touches, and tears up and swallows unwonted 

 objects ; it has a peculiar high-toned bark. Spasms of the 

 throat muscles come on, especially in swallowing, and there 

 is abundant secretion of saliva ; its supposed fear of water 

 is, however, a myth. Gradually convulsions, paralysis, and 

 coma come on ; and death supervenes. In the paralytic 

 form, the early symptoms are the same, but paralysis 

 appears sooner. The lower jaw of the animal drops, from 

 implication of the elevator muscles, all the muscles of the 

 body become more or less weakened, and death ensues 

 without any very marked irritative symptoms. 



In man the incubation period after infection varies from 

 fifteen days to seven or eight months, or even longer, but 

 is usually about forty days. When symptoms of rabies are 

 about to appear, certain prodromata, such as pains in the 

 wound and along the nerves of the limb in which the wound 

 has been received, may be observed. To this succeeds a 

 stage of nervous irritability, during which all the reflexes 

 are augmented the victim starting at the slightest sound, 

 for example. There are spasms, especially of the muscles 

 of deglutition and respiration, and cortical excitement 

 evidenced by delirium may occur. On this follows a period 

 in which all the reflexes are diminished, weakness and 

 paralysis are observed, convulsions occur, and finally coma 

 and death supervene. The duration of the acute illness is 

 usually from four to eight days, and death invariably results. 

 The existence of paralytic rabies in man has been denied 

 by some, but it undoubtedly occurs. This is usually 

 manifested by paralysis of the limb in which the infection 

 has been received, and of the neighbouring parts ; but while 

 in such cases this is often the first symptom observed, 

 during the whole of the illness the occurrence of wide- 

 spread and progressive paralysis is the outstanding feature. 



