316 
PLINY'S NATUEAL HISTOET. 
[Book VIII. 
CHAP. 62. THE GEJ^EEATIOIf OF THE DOG.^^ 
This animal brings forth twice in the year ; it is capable 
of bearing young when a year old, and gestation continues for 
sixty days. The young ones are born blind, and the greater 
the supply of nourishment from the mother's milk, the more 
slowly do they acquire their sight ; still, however, this never 
takes place later than the twentieth day, or earlier than the 
seventh. It is said by some writers, that if only one is born, 
it is able to see on the ninth day ; and that if there are two, 
they begin to see on the tenth, every additional one causing the 
power of seeing to come a day later. It is said, too, that the 
females which are produced by the mother in her first litter, 
are subject to the night-mare.^^ The best dog of the litter is 
the one which is last in obtaining its sight, or else the one 
which the mother carries first into her bed. 
CHAP. 63. EEMEDIES AGAINST CATTIFE MADNESS.^^ 
Canine madness is fatal to man during the heat of Sirius,^^ 
and, as we have already said, it proves so in consequence of 
those who are bitten having a deadly horror of water.^* For 
this reason, during the thirty days that this star exerts its 
influence, we try to prevent the disease by mixing dung from 
20 These statements are probably, for the most part, from Aristotle, 
Hist. Anim, B. v. c. 14, and B. vi. e. 20.— B. 
21 " Faunos cerni." Hardouin remarks on these words ; " Flitting before 
the sight, and rushing upon each other, like the Ephialtes," and refers, 
for a farther explanation, to his commentary on the passage in B, xxv, c. 
10, where the subject is treated more at large. TheEphialtes is generally 
supposed to have been what we term incubus or nightmare. — B. 
22 ^\\ these remedies are perfectly useless. — B. 
23 Pliny details the noxious effects, conceived to be produced by the in- 
fluence of Sirius, in B. ii. c. 40, and, among others, its tendency to produce 
canine madness. In B. xxix. c. 32, he enumerates the various remedies 
proposed for the disease; these, however, are equally inefficacious with 
those mentioned here. — B. 
24 We have an account of this disease in Celsus, B. v, c. 27, and 
especially of the peculiar symptom from which it derives its classical 
denomination. It is remarkable that Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. viii. c. 22, 
speaking of canine madness, says, that it is communicated by the dog to all 
animals, ecceept man. — -B. See B. vii. c. 13. 
25 It appears that there was a difference of opinion as to the number of 
days during which the Dog-star continued to exercise its influence. — B. 
