THE DOG—DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 831 
pearing quiet and kind. In the latter stages, paralysis takes place in the 
limbs; spasms affect breathing and swallowing; the external surface 
becomes irritable, and sensitiveness is increased; convulsions may come on, 
These symptoms come and go, with periods of comparative health between 
them, and are often excited by touch, sight or hearing, especially by seeing 
or hearing another dog. 
2. The sullen form is marked by shyness and depression, with no in- 
clination to bite, and no dread of fluids. The dog is unnaturally quiet, 
depressed in spirits, haggard and suspicious, refusing food and seeking close 
retirement. The breathing is hard; the bark rough, harsh and changed in 
tone; the lower jaw drops down, the tongue hangs out and saliva constantly 
flows, the dog perhaps seeming to try to paw it off the lips; the breathing 
grows more labored; there are trembling, vomiting and convulsions. 
It should be noticed that, not only are the violent symptoms absent in 
some cases, or much reduced, but there is not the inevitable repulsion to 
water which is almost universally supposed to exist, and which gave rise to 
the name hydrophodza, that is, “dread of water.” That the animal may 
be thrown into violent spasms at the sight of water, after swallowing has 
become difficult or impossible, is undoubtedly true in many cases, but not 
always. When it is the case, it is a result of involuntary muscular action, 
and not of a conscious dread of the water; for thirst may be pronounced in 
this disease. It has even been reported that, in the fever-stage, a mad dog 
has been known to plunge his head into water, as if to cool himself. Hence, 
the test of placing water before a dog suspected of infection is not reliable. 
Besides, if the sight of water does produce spasms, it is only in the more 
violent stages, when other symptoms are quite as marked. Again, the 
frothing at the mouth is not so frequent as is supposed, indeed, not as certain 
to occur as in epilepsy, or when the jaw is paralyzed. The tail carried 
between the legs is a symptom not so significant as most people suppose, 
for it is quite as often elevated. 
TREATMENT.—To prevent the development of the disease, as soon as 
the bite has been inflicted thrust down into it some small iron or other 
metal raised to a red (better white) heat, not merely a black heat, until a 
thorough searing of the flesh all around the wound has been effected. A 
point of lunar caustic (nitrate of silver) may be used for such cauterization, 
but is not so good asthe iron. If neither is at hand, grasp the wound with 
the fingers and forcibly squeeze it so as to drive the blood from the bottom, 
carefully avoiding contact of the blood with any break in the skin, repeat- 
ing a few times to remove all the poison if possible. It is always best to 
apply a ligature close to the bite, on the side toward the heart. If the bite 
has not been cauterized, wash it at once with cold water, putting in a few 
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