48 THE DISEASES OS 1 THE DOCt. 



cision and cautery, he should be carefully washed and 

 then must be isolated for at least two months (five or six 

 weeks being the average incubation in dogs), and wear 

 the wire muzzle when out of doors, and be kept under 

 supervision (and promptly isolated on any sign of disorder 

 of any kind or strangeness of temper) for at least one 

 year. Few dogs will be worth the risk and solicitude 

 necessitated in these precautions. The chances against 

 the animal developing the disease after a bite are — (1) The 

 inflictor of the bite may not be rabid, but if he be, (2) his 

 teeth may have been thoroughly cleaned from morbific saliva 

 by frequent bites of other animals or through clothing ; 

 (3) the bitten animal may be constitutionally fitted to resist 

 the disease, (4) or the treatment of the wound as adopted 

 may be effectual in destruction of the virus, (5) or the free 

 flow of blood from the wound as inflicted may suffice to 

 wash away the virus, especially if the flow has been en- 

 couraged by suction or cupping. When a human being has 

 been bitten the following measures may be taken : — Suction 

 of the wounds by some individual whose mouth is free 

 from abrasions ; encouragement of free bleeding from the 

 wounds ; neglect of no wound, however apparently trivial, 

 in which the cuticle has become abraded ; application of 

 ligature or tourniquet above the seat of injury j prompt 

 application of caustic, especially the nitrate of silver or 

 caustic potash, butter of antimony, or the actual or gal- 

 vano-cautery. In deep wounds this must be followed 

 by excision all round the injury, taking care never to 

 actually cut into the wound, and to wipe the knife after 

 each stroke, then cauterise the fresh wound thus pro- 

 duced. It is advisable to repeat application of the cautery 

 after separation of the first eschar. These measures, if 

 carefully carried out, should be considered as practically 

 ensuring immunity from ill effects and absolutely sufficient 

 to allay alarm on the part of the patient and his friends. 

 Such measures as bleeding, the cold bath, allowing a 

 stream of water to fall from a height on the wound, and 

 so on, must never be deemed sufficient. The duty 

 of the canine practitioner in dealing with rabies is a 



