Self Mutilation by Rabid Dogs. 161 
no further symptoms; but on Wednesday, when his box was 
being cleaned, he viciously caught hold of the broom, but 
beyond that there was no change. He continued to eat 
and drink, and his motions were natural. On Thursday 
afternoon, a stick was used instead of the broom, and he 
again flew at that, yet still continued to eat and drink a 
little; but, during the night, he bit the woodwork of his 
box, and, on Friday morning, died, without having shown 
any further symptoms.” 
“On making a post-mortem (at which Professor, Axe, of 
the Royal Veterinary College, was present), I found every 
symptom of ‘rabies. I may add that this dog did not once 
give the well-known and distinctive bark of a rabid dog; 
also, that I carefully examined his kennel, which had not 
been touched since his removal, and could find no trace of 
his tail, with the exception of a few blood stains. 
“Having mentioned this singular case to several members 
of my profession having extensive canine practices, and they 
agreeing with me that the case is worthy of notice, I trust 
you will grant me space in your valuable paper for insert- 
ing it—E. M. Davy, M.R.C.V.S.L.” 
A very strong popular impression prevails that rabies in 
the dog, and its equivalent in man, which goes by the un- 
satisfactory title of “hydrophobia,” is necessarily fatal, and 
that the bite of a rabid animal always communicates the 
disease. This is quite erroneous. Statistics, carefully col- 
lected both at home and abroad, warrant us in believing that 
about one in four persons and animals bitten by a rabidly 
diseased dog, escape altogether; while recoveries from the 
actual disease are by no means unknown in the case of 
man as well as of animals. In a memorandum read by 
M. Decroix before the Academy of Medicine of Paris, in 1882, 
nine cases of recovery (in about eight or ten days) are re- 
corded, of which three were men, five dogs, and one a horse. 
M. Decroix remarks: “The scientific men who have not seen 
cases which have been cured, are very wrong in disregarding 
M 
