Symptoms of Rabies. 155 
those colonies. This may be attributed to the length of the 
voyage, which we may take to be, at the minimum, six weeks, 
and occasionally three or four months—affording time for the 
development of the malady in any dog carrying the seeds of 
it on board with him, and manifesting it there, when he 
would be destroyed. 
Still, these colonies must be considered fortunate in escaping, 
when we reflect on the prolonged period of latency or incuba- 
tion, possibly a year, that seems, occasionally at least, to 
attend this scourge. In Australia, dogs are subjected to 
intense heat and deprivation of water, and their diet is 
almost entirely of flesh; but neither these nor any other con- 
ditions which may be supposed to be unfavourable to them, 
have yet originated the disease. The cases of Australasia, 
then, and of Réunion, afford as conclusive evidence as we 
could obtain, that the disease has not a spontaneous origin, 
otherwise it would be quite incomprehensible that it should 
not have appeared during the: period—now approaching a 
century—of occupation by Europeans and their dogs. The 
colonial legislature having become so fully convinced—after 
consulting Dr. Burdon Sanderson and Dr. George Fleming, 
F.R.C.V.S.—that the disease can find its way to their shores 
only through an infected dog from without, have now totally 
prohibited the importation of dogs from all parts of the 
world. 
The following notice, issued by the authorities of the 
Brown Animal Sanitary Institution, Wandsworth-road, Lon- 
don (under the government of the University of London), 
conveniently sums up the symptoms of rabies :—“This disease 
occurs in dogs of all ages, and may appear at any season 
of the year. It is recognised by a change of demeanour 
of the dog, who becomes dejected, morose, inclined to roam, 
and anxious to hide himself. The animal gnaws at wood, 
stones, and any refuse which it sees, snaps at imaginary 
objects, and becomes unusually excited by strange or sudden 
noises. It rubs its throat with its paws, as if striving to get 
