AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



295 



— he diligently tears to pieces every thing about him; the 

 carpet or rug is shaken with savage violence; the door or 

 petition is gnawed asunder; and so eager is he in this work 

 of demolition, and so regardless of bo.dily pain, that he not 

 unfrequently breaks one or all' of his tushes. If he effects 

 his escape, he wanders about, sometimes merely attacking 

 those dogs which fall in his way; and at other times he dili- 

 gently and perseveringly hunts out his prey: he overcomes 

 every obstacle to effect his purpose; and, unless he has been 

 detected in his march of death, he returns in about four-and- 

 twenty hours, completely exhausted, to the habitation of his 

 master. 



"He frequently utters a short and peculiar howl, which, 

 ■ if once heard, can rarely be forgotten; or if he barks, it is a 

 short, hoarse, inward sound, altogether dissimilar from his 

 usual tone. 



" In the latter stages of the disease a viscid saliva flows 

 from his mouth, with which the surface of the water that 

 may be placed before him is covered in a few minutes; and 

 his breathing is attended with a harsh grating sound, as if 

 impeded by the accumulation of phlegm in the respiratory 

 passages. 



"The loss of power over the voluntary muscles extends 

 after the third day throughout his whole frame, and is par- 

 ticularly evident in the loins; he staggers in his gait; there 

 is an uncertainty in all his motions; and he frequently falls, 

 not only when he attempts to walk, but when he stands 

 balancing himself as well as he can. On the fourth or fifth 

 day of the disease he dies, sometimes in convulsions, but 

 more frequently without a struggle. 



"After death there will invariably be found more or less 

 inflammation of the mucous coat of the stomach; sometimes 

 confined to the ru gas, at other times in patches; generally 

 with spots of extravasated blood, and occasionally intense, 

 and occupying the whole of that viscus. The stomach will 

 likewise contain some portion of indigestible matter, (hair, 

 straw, dung,) and occasionally it will be completely filled 

 and distended by an incongruous mass. The lungs will 

 usually present appearances of inflammation, more intense 

 in one, and generally the left lung, than in the other. Some 

 particular points and patches will be of a deep colour, while 

 the neighbouring portions are unaffected. The sublinqual 

 and parotid glands will be invariably enlarged: and there 

 will also be a certain portion of inflammation, sometimes in- 

 tense, and at other times assuming only a faint blush, on 

 the edge of the epiglottis, or on the rima glottidis, or in the 

 angle of the larynx at the back of it." 



When the human species become unhappily the subjects 

 of this calamity, though in particular instances some varia- 

 tion may be observed, yet the fii'st symptoms are generally 

 the same; these are torpid disquietude in the wound, (or 



seat of injury,) attended with slight intervening itchings, 

 ultimately amounting to pain, and much resembling rheu- 

 matic affection. It continues to extend itself to the sur- 

 rounding parts; and, at length, from the extremities it 

 expands its poisonous power to the viscera; the cicatrice, 

 if there has been a wound, begins to swell, inflammation 

 hourly increases, till, at length, a serous bloody ichor is 

 discharged, and this alone may be considered the primary 

 and invariable prognostic of certain hydrophobia. These 

 leading symptoms soon become progressively general, bear- 

 ing with them every appearance of confirmed rheumatism; 

 they are fluctuating, quick, acute, and of the spasmodic, 

 convulsive kind; they suddenly attack the patient, severely 

 affectingthe head, neck, and principal joints; a dull, drowsy 

 pain often seizes the head and neck, breast, abdomen, and 

 even vibrates along the back bone. The patient is gloomy 

 and inclined to solitude, murmurs much, seems lost in re- 

 flection, is forgetful, inattentive, and prone to sleep; at 

 times agitating starts denote the mind to be disordered; by 

 turns he is attentively watchful; his slumbers become dis- 

 turbed, and suddenly awaking from those, convulsive ap- 

 pearances soon follow. 



A deafness is sometimes complained of, the eyes are 

 watery; the aspect sorrowful; the countenance pale, and 

 the face contracted: sweat breaks out about the temples; 

 an unusual flow of saliva, slimj'' and viscid, at length comes 

 on with a dryness of the fauces, a foulness of the tongue, 

 and a disagreeable smell (or rather fetid effluvia,) from the 

 breath. As the symptoms already recited increase, the 

 second stage advances: a fever commences, which at first is 

 mild, but makes with gigantic strides the most rapid ad- 

 vances to extremity; it is accompanied with hourly increas- 

 ing horrors, and all the alarming concomitants of mental 

 derangement. Wakefulness becomes perpetual ; violent 

 periodical agitations ensue; the mind is evidently more and 

 more disturbed; a delirium follows, at which critical mo- 

 ment an invincible aversion to fluid, glass, or any polished 

 or shining body is plainly perceived. A constriction of the 

 gullet takes place, and an incredible difficulty of swallow- 

 ing ensues; liquids are offered, and are attempted to be 

 taken, but the disgust and loathing become so predominant, 

 that they are most violently declined; and this symptoma- 

 tic dread and aversion so wonderfully increases, that, upon 

 the very appearance of any watery fluid, the greatest hor- 

 ror comes on, and the most shocking muscular distortions 

 ensue; if the liquor is attempted to be forcibly pressed upon 

 them, tlie experiment is rejected by an instantaneous suc- 

 cession of the most horrid gesticulations, and convulsive 

 distortions, in which every ray of reason seems to be ab- 

 sorbed. Upon a temporary cessation of so distressing a 

 paroxysm, the poor unhappy patient now murmurs, mournSj 



