162 Specific and Contagtous Diseases. 
hydrophobia, or the human subject as being rabid. The 
dread of water applies to the latter, in whom the disease 
is correctly hydrophobia. : ; 
Lrothing or foaming at the mouth is also believed in as 
a sure sign of rabies. It is a certain condition of this 
disease that the secretion of foarn, or large quantities of 
saliva worked into innumerable air bubbles, is often 
impossible, by reason of the congested state of the blood- 
vessels and the salivary glands. 
The fils of epilepsy have frequently been mistaken for 
rabies. Jt is almost needless to state that rabid dogs do 
not become unconscious and fall, as is common with the 
epileptic sufferer, or the young dog in distemper. 
There are, doubtless, other conditions which may 
resemble, more or less, certain stages of rabies, but on 
careful consideration it will be found they are unassociatcd 
with the disease, //asty conclusions must be carefull 
avoided, and in the absence of absolute proof tt is a wise 
proceeding to withhold decisive judgment; place the suspected 
animal in a secure cage, room, t., and watt the tssue uf a 
systematic course of observation. 
With regard to curative methods and remedies sug- 
gested, their name is legion and the results of their 
application nil, The truly rabid dog should be sum- 
marily destroyed before he commits any damage, unless 
some special reason exists for sparing his life. The body 
should be burned as the only safe and expeditious 
method of destroying the virus also, thus limiting the 
possibilities of spreading the disease. ‘Thorough cleans- 
ing and disinfection of yards, kennels, beds, baskets, &c. 
&c., occupied by the sufferers (the object being the 
destruction of any saliva) should follow, and as an 
efficient agent black ashes in boiling water cannot be 
surpassed. Its great drawback is its effectual removal of 
paint from woodwork ; where this is an objection, strong 
soap solution with crude “ Sanitas” will answer effectu- 
ally. Those who engage in this work should first see 
they have no open sores or scratches on their hands, &c., 
and in all cases the first washings should be accomplished 
by means of brushes having Jong handles ; subsequent 
