76 RABIES. 



branes of the brain, and even of portions of the substance of 

 the brain ; but in other cases there is scarcely any trace of 

 inflammation, or even of increased vascularity. 



Phronitis may be confounded with cholic and rabies. In cholic, 

 the horse rises, falls, and kicks at his belly, but there is no in- 

 voluntary spasm of any of the limbs, and he is perfectly sensible 

 He looks piteously at his flanks, and the expression of his anxious 

 countenance is altogether difierent from the fearfully excited one 

 of the phrenetic horse. His pulse is also comparatively quiet, 

 and his struggles and violence are tame in comparison with 

 those of the other. 



In rabies, there is even more violence than in phrenitis, but 

 the horse is perfectly conscious, recognizes those about him, and 

 seemingly exhibits more than his ordinary intelligence in his 

 attempts to do mischief. 



RABIES, OR MADNESS. 



This is another and fearful disease of the nervous system. It 

 results from the bite of a rabid animal, and, most commonly, 

 of the companion and friend of the horse — the coach-dog. 



The early symptoms of rabies in the horse have not been 

 carefully observed or well recorded ; but, in the majority of 

 cases, so far as our records go, there will not often be premoni- 

 tory symptoms sufficiently decisive to be noticed by the groom. 



The horse goes out to his usual work, and, for a certain time 

 and distance, performs it as well as he had been accustomed to 

 do ; then he stops all at once — trembles, heaves, paws, staggers, 

 and falls. Almost immediately he rises, drags his load a httle 

 farther, and again stops, looks about him, backs, staggers, and 

 falls once more. This is not a fit of megrims' — ^it is not a sudden 

 determination of blood to the brain, for the horse is not for a 

 single moment insensible. The sooner he is led home the better, 

 for the progress of the disease is as rapid as the first attack is 

 sudden ; and, possibly, he will fall twice or thrice before he 

 reaches his stable. 



In the great majority of cases — or rather, with very few ex- 

 ceptions — a state of excitation ensues, which is not exceeded by 

 that of the dog under the most fearful form of the malady ; but 

 there are intervals when, if he had been naturally good-tem- 

 pered and had been attached to his rider or his groom, he will 

 recognize his former friend and seek his caresses, and bend on 

 him one of those piteous, searching looks which, once observed, 

 will never be forgotten : but there is danger about this. Pr'-a 

 ently succeeds another "?ToywKm. wii\jo?ji, w^mp'.s ?nd witnou* 



