32 Veterinary Medicine. 



The lack of the extreme hyper sesthesia and excitability of 

 rabies, and usually of the mischievous disposition to bite, the 

 presence of foreign bodies in the mouth or gullet, and the evi- 

 dence of disorder of digestion, with costiveness, tympany, and 

 tenderness, and the history of the case may serve to differentiate. 

 In cases of doubt the innoculation of a rabbit on the brain should 

 demonstrate the absence of rabies by the absence of the charac- 

 teristic symptoms after sixteen days. 



Treatment. As delirium in animals is a deranged innervation 

 from congestion, narcotic drugs, ptomaines, etc., it must be 

 looked on as in most cases a mere phenomenon, pointing to a 

 definite disease, or to a particular intoxication, and treatment 

 must be directed toward the removal of the primary cause. Thus 

 the remedial measures must be directed in the different cases to 

 the encephalitis, meningitis, digestive disorders, contagious dis- 

 ease, or drug to which the affection may be traced. The patient 

 must be put in a strong inclosure or securely tied so that he can 

 do no harm : it will often be desirable to secure shade or cool air, 

 or to apply cold water or ice to the head, and to quiet the nervous- 

 excitement by inhalations of chloroform, or ether, rectal injec- 

 tions of chloral, or bromides, or full doses of hyoscine, sulphonal, 

 trional or tetronal. These may be pushed to the extent of induc- 

 ting anaesthesia, sleep or quiet, as the case may be, and meanwhile 

 other measures should be taken to eliminate the poisons, correct 

 the congestion, or remove the source of irritation. Anaemic 

 cases may demand iron and bitters, with an aliment rich and 

 easily assimilated, while plethoric cases may require purgation, 

 diuresis or even bloodletting. All noise and any cause of excite- 

 ment must be carefully guarded against. 



