114 CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



of the disease, such as restlessness, a desire to hide, 

 and timidity. The patient objects to being handled, 

 and although never aggressive (see rabies, p. 155) 

 will often bite" if touched or disturbed. Loss of co- 

 ordination is an early symptom of encephalitis, the 

 patient staggering about and blundering into things. 

 There is well-marked conjunctival hyperemia, the 

 head feels hot, and the pupils are contracted. Ophthal- 

 moscopic examination of the fundus of the eye re- 

 veals, a highly congested condition of the optic 

 papilla and blood vessels. 



Fever is usually present, the temperature rang- 

 ing from 104 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit in the acute 

 form, but in the later stages or in the subacute con- 

 dition the temperature may be normal or even sub- 

 normal. The pulse at first is full and bounding; 

 later on it is slow and feeble, but easily affected by 

 outside stimuli. When nearing the fatal termination 

 the pulse becomes extremely rapid and weak. 



The respirations are first increased, but later the 

 rate sinks below normal ; they are deep and slow, 

 and each inspiration is marked by a snoring noise 

 (stertor). 



Vomiting, (central) epileptiform spasms', and in- 

 voluntary movements are noticed. Later on, the 

 patient becomes paralyzed, lapses into coma, and 

 dies. Death is frequently very rapid, but chronic 

 conditions such as hydrocephalus amaurosis, deaf- 

 ness, and so on may develop. 



Care must be taken to differentiate encephalitis 

 from rabies, but the mistake can hardly occur if we 

 remember that in rabies the typical symptoms are 

 aggressiveness, altered voice, and consumption of 

 indigestible substances. In rabies, too, the tempera- 

 ture of the skull is not so intense nor is the hy- 

 peremia of the conjunctiva so well marked. 



Treatment. — The patient should at once be placed 



