252 The Management and Diseases of the Dog. 



The voice at this time becomes strangely altered. It is 

 hardly possible to describe it, though when once heard, it 

 can never be forgotten. It is a kind of blending between 

 a bark and a howl, having a croupy sound, and most 

 frequently is heard at night. 



A thoroughly savage and morose disposition becomes at 

 this period firmly established. Any article presented will 

 be seized and ferociously mangled. The poor creature, in 

 its paroxysms is regardless of pain ; the lips are wounded, 

 and even the teeth broken, in its frantic efforts to avenge 

 some imagined injury or offence.* 



jaws, the lower one again dropped half an inch. External manipulation 

 about the throat produced no indications of pain or irritability. I 

 then — not suspecting anything serious or unusual from the information 

 I had received, proceeded, with the aid of a candle-light, to examine 

 the posterior part of the mouth. This was discovered to be inflamed, 

 but no bone could be detected. I then passed my two fore-fingers 

 down, with the same result. Thinking it possible the bone had passed 

 on, and probably left some laceration behind, with paralysis from its 

 long retention in a fixed position, I ordered a hot linseed-meal or 

 mustard-poultice to the throat, and a little warm beef-tea or broth to 

 be given, promising to call the following day. This I was prevented 

 from doing, and an assistant was sent instead. I, however, omitted to 

 tell him the nature of the case, but he came back with the idea 

 probably from being also told the same tale, viz : that the dog had 

 "swallowed a bone." The following day I again visited the patient, 

 wheri, upon opening the door of the room, the animal, without barking 

 made a rush at me. Pulling the door to quickly, I waited a minute or 

 so, and then cautiously looked in. He was crouching in a corner with 

 his eyes half-closed, and his head nodding in a drowsy manner. He 

 gave a start, or, as it were, awoke suddenly, changed his position, and 

 fell off again in the same drowsy state ; the lower jaw still remained 

 dropped. I immediately became impressed with the belief that it was 

 a case of dumb rabies, but, to make the matter more certain, I ordered 

 the animal to be placed in security, and carefully watched. Next 

 morning, unmistakeable symptoms of rabies manifested themselves, 

 and the dog was shot. Another animal, a companion, sickened in like 

 manner, and was also destroyed. Fortunately, I had no abrasions on 

 my hands, or I might have shared a similar fate. 



I mention this case as illustrative of the great care and suspicion 

 with which such cases and their history should be received 



* Tliebe tits of fury are not always attendant on rabies, if the animal 



