424 DISEASES INVOLVING NERVOUS SYSTEM 



stick be presented, the horse snaps at it or seizes it with his 

 teeth. A water pail may be seized and smashed. In some 

 cases shght dysphagia is an early symptom, saliva drooling 

 from the mouth; in drinking, regurgitation of water through 

 the nose follows. In occasional patients marked symptoms 

 of fury are noted, the animal rearing wildly into the manger, 

 and with mouth and hoof seemingly trying to tear the stable 

 down. Blankets, feed boxes, studding, in fact anything which 

 may come in the way are torn or splintered. Other horses or 

 even men are attacked during the paroxysm. In stallions 

 and mares increased sexual desire is noted. The appetite is 

 perverted, the horse ingesting dung and urine. A change of 

 voice also occurs in horses, but is not as marked a symptom 

 as in dogs and cattle. About the second or third day para- 

 lytic symptoms appear, the patient remains down, and dies in 

 convulsions or coma. In some cases the paralytic symptoms 

 are not preceded by a stage of fury, the course of the disease 

 resembling the dumb form of rabies of dogs. 



Ox. — ^Rabid cattle are restless, excited, and particularly 

 aggressive toward dogs and fowls, which animals they pursue 

 with avidity. Even inanimate objects, if in motion (a rolling 

 pumpkin), are chased by them dog fashion. In milch cows 

 milk secretion stops. Not infrequently they attempt to bite, 

 seizing the coat sleeve of a person standing near. The 

 patients have an anxious, mischievous expression, and quite 

 frequently a peculiar movement of the muzzle, like that 

 observed in the healthy rabbit. Sometimes violent contrac- 

 tions of the abdominal muscles, as if to defecate, are seen. 

 Anything which attracts their attention they rapidly approach 

 and try to gore and climb upon with their forefeet. A 

 common symptom is a sudden loss of muscular coordination 

 or power which causes the animal to drop to the earth as if 

 "pulled down" by a rifle shot. They remain down but a 

 moment and spring to their feet again. The appetite is 

 vitiated, dung and feces being licked up in preference to good 

 food. Water is not refused, but it may be swallowed with 

 difficulty. Continued bellowing is a prominent symptom, 

 the sound of the voice becoming gradually hoarser and fainter. 

 The patients from day to day grow weaker and more 

 emaciated and finally get down and are unable to rise. 



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