404 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



is much longer than in tetanus, since the inoculation of rabbits with 

 tetanus cultures invarialjly results in death after a short period and 

 usually within three days. The positive evidence that a rabid dog 

 has been near cattle would greatly assist in making a decision in 

 doubtful cases. 



The disease in dogs is pretty well recognized by most people, but in 

 case a suspected dog is killed it is desirable to open the animal and 

 examine the contents of the stomach. While feed is absent, a variety 

 of odd things may be present which the abnormally changed appetite 

 of the rabid dog has induced it to swallow. Among such things may 

 be straws, sticks, glass, rags, earth, pieces of leather, and whatever 

 the animal may have encountered small enough to be swallowed. 

 This miscellaneous collection in the stomach of dogs, together with 

 absence of feed, is regarded by authorities as a very valuable sign, 

 and in case of doubt may be made use of by laymen. In important 

 cases, however, the head of the dog, cow, or other suspected animal 

 should be removed and sent to the nearest biological laboratory, 

 where a positive diagnosis can be made within 36 hours by the histo- 

 logical examination of the plexiform nerve ganglia, and within two 

 or three weeks by the intracerebral inoculation of rabbits with an 

 emulsion of the brain of the suspected animal. 



Treatment. — This is useless after the first appearance of symptoms. 

 When, however, a wound inflicted by a ralud animal can be discov- 

 ered, it should be immediately cauterized cr even completely extir- 

 pated, care being taken to cut entirely around the wound in the 

 healthy tissues. For cauterizing the wound, fuming nitric acid, the 

 hot iron, and 10 per cent solution of zinc chlorid are the most effica- 

 cious. To afford an absolute protection, this should be done within 

 a few moments after the bite has been inflicted, although even as late 

 as a few hours it has been known to thwart the development of the 

 disease. 



Pasteur originated and perfected a system of preventive inocula- 

 tion against this disease which has greatly reduced the mortality in 

 human subjects. Its application to animals, however, is more diffi- 

 cult, requiring considerable time and expense, and is therefore only 

 economically applicable in cases in which vei'V valuable animals are 

 bitten by dogs known to be mad. Sanitary regulations which seek to 

 control eft'ectively the disease by exterminating it among dogs are 

 most likely to prove successful. The measures which are adopted to 

 this end can not be discussed in this place, but it is a striking fact 

 that where the muzzling of all dogs has licen rigidly enforced, as in 

 England and in certain German districts, the disease has been prac- 

 tically stamped out. 



