AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
295 
— he diligently tears to pieces every thing about him; the 
carpet or rug is shaken with savage violence; the door or 
petition is gnawed asunder; and so eager is he in this work 
of demolition, and so regardless of bodily pain, that he not 
unfrequently breaks one or all of his tushes. If he effects 
his escape, he wanders about, sometimes merely attacking 
those dogs which fall in his way; and at other times he dili- 
gently and perseveringly hunts out his prey: he overcomes 
every obstacle to effect his purpose; and, unless he has been 
detected in his march of death, he returns in about four-and- 
twenty hours, completely exhausted, to the habitation of his 
master. 
“He frequently utters a short and peculiar howl, which, 
if once heard, can rarely be forgotten; or if he barks, it is a 
short, hoarse, inward sound, altogether dissimilar from his 
usual tone. 
“In the latter stages of the disease a viscid saliva flows 
from his mouth, with which the surface of the water that 
may be placed before him is covered in a few minutes; and 
his breathing is attended with a harsh grating sound, as if 
impeded by the accumulation of phlegm in the respiratory 
passages. 
“The loss of power over the voluntary muscles extends 
after the third day throughout his whole frame, and is par- 
ticularly evident in the loins; he staggers in his gait; there 
is an uncertainty in all his motions; and he frequently falls, 
not only when he attempts to walk, but when he stands 
balancing himself as well as he can. On the fourth or fifth 
day of the disease he dies, sometimes in convulsions, but 
more frequently without a struggle. 
“ After death there will invariably be found more or less 
inflammation of the mucous coat of the stomach; sometimes 
confined to the rugae, at other times in patches ; generally 
with spots of extravasated blood, and occasionally intense, 
and occupying the whole of that viscus. The stomach will 
likewise contain some portion of indigestible matter, (hair, 
straw, dung,) and occasionally it will be completely filled 
and distended by an incongruous mass. The lungs will 
usually present appearances of inflammation, more intense 
in one, and generally the left lung, than in the other. Some 
particular points and patches will be of a deep colour, while 
the neighbouring portions are unaffected. The sublinqual 
and parotid glands will be invariably enlarged: and there 
will also be a certain portion of inflammation, sometimes in- 
tense, and at other times assuming only a faint blush, on 
the edge of the epiglottis, or on the rima glottidis, or in the 
angle of the larynx at the back of it.” 
When the human species become unhappily the subjects 
of this calamity, though in particular instances some varia- 
tion may be observed, yet the first symptoms are generally 
the same; these are torpid disquietude in the wound, (or 
seat of injury,) attended with slight intervening itchings, 
ultimately amounting to pain, and much resembling rheu- 
matic affection. It continues to extend itself to the sur- 
rounding parts; and, at length, from the extremities it 
expands its poisonous power to the viscera; the cicatrice, 
if there has been a wound, begins to swell, inflammation 
hourly increases, till, at length, a serous bloody ichor is 
discharged, and this alone may be considered the primary 
and invariable prognostic of certain hydrophobia. These 
leading symptoms soon become progressively general, bear- 
ing with them every appearance of confirmed rheumatism; 
they are fluctuating, quick, acute, and of the spasmodic, 
convulsive kind; they suddenly attack the patient, severely 
affecting the head, neck, and principal joints; a dull, drowsy 
pain often seizes the head and neck, breast, abdomen, and 
even vibrates along the back bone. The patient is gloomy 
and inclined to solitude, murmurs much, seems lost in re- 
flection, is forgetful, inattentive, and prone to sleep; at 
times agitating starts denote the mind to be disordered; by 
turns he is attentively watchful; his slumbers become dis- 
turbed, and suddenly awaking from those, convulsive ap- 
pearances soon follow. 
A deafness is sometimes complained of, the eyes are 
watery; the aspect sorrowful; the countenance pale, and 
the face contracted: sweat breaks out about the temples; 
an unusual flow of saliva, slimy and viscid, at length comes 
on with a dryness of the fauces, a foulness of the tongue, 
and a disagreeable smell (or rather fetid effluvia,) from the 
breath. As the symptoms already recited increase, the 
second stage advances: a fever commences, which at first is 
mild, but makes with gigantic strides the most rapid ad- 
vances to extremity; it is accompanied with hourly increas- 
ing horrors, and all the alarming concomitants of mental 
derangement. Wakefulness becomes perpetual; violent 
periodical agitations ensue; the mind is evidently more and 
more disturbed; a delirium follows, at which critical mo- 
ment an invincible aversion to fluid, glass, or any polished 
or shining body is plainly perceived. A constriction of the 
gullet takes place, and an incredible difficulty of swallow- 
ing ensues; liquids are offered, and are attempted to be 
taken, but the disgust and loathing become so predominant, 
that they are most violently declined; and this symptoma- 
tic dread and aversion so wonderfully increases, that, upon 
the very appearance of any watery fluid, the greatest hor- 
ror comes on, and the most shocking muscular distortions 
ensue; if the liquor is attempted to be forcibly pressed upon 
them, the experiment is rejected by an instantaneous suc- 
cession of the most horrid gesticulations, and convulsive 
distortions, in which every ray of reason seems to be ab- 
sorbed. Upon a temporary cessation of so distressing a 
paroxysm, the poor unhappy patient now murmurs, mourns,. 
