DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 237 



particularly the case with mongrels and curs. A stranger is 

 immediately gathered round, sniffed over, followed some dis- 

 tance, and perhaps hustled ; the stranger resents it, or even 

 if not thus interfered with, snaps at the one obstructing him, 

 and passes on his way. The same thing happens over and 

 over again in his course : and I need hardly say (presuming, 

 him to be rabid) the horrible result is multiplied indefinitely, 

 in a like manner, by his victims. 



Incubation. — The incuBative period of rabies is extremely 

 uncertain. My experience, with a few exceptions, has been 

 from two to five weeks. 



" In the dog, Lafosse states that the shortest authenticated 

 period that occurred in his experience, was seven days, and 

 the longest one hundred and fifty-five days. Roll gives, for 

 the same animal, from three to six, and rarely from seven to 

 ten weeks. Blaine asserts that the majority of cases occur 

 between the third and seventh week, though some are pro- 

 tracted to three, four, or even a greater number of months. 

 A week was the shortest period he had noted. Youatt has 

 known instances in which the first symptoms, have only be- 

 come manifest after from five to seven months, and he never ■ 

 knew of a case occurring before seventeen days intervening. 

 Other authorities have related cases in which the disease was 

 developed within from three to ten days after contamination. 

 Of nine cases which Peuch could rely upon, the symptoms 

 appeared after the bite, in each, at an interval of 95, 88, 35, 

 26, 24, 22, 18, 15, and 10 days, respectively." 



"In 1863, Renault reported that of 68 dogs inoculated ex- 

 perimentally or bitten, the malady was developed in : 



I from the 5th to the loth day. 



7 from the 45th to the 50th Jay. 



