VETERINARY MEDICAL SOCIETY. 
657 
itself against the walls, and threw about the hay. There was 
discharge from the nostrils of the puppy. 
Mr. G reen asked whether Mr. Dewhurst had seen a case of 
hydrophobia in the human subject, and what he considered to be 
the diagnostic symptoms. 
Mr. Dewhurst replied, that the only true diagnostic symptom 
was the dread of water. 
Mr. Green observed, that Mr. Youatt had recorded, in the last 
Veterinarian, a ease of rabies in the dog in which was also a 
dread of water. 
Mr. Dewhurst believed that rabies might occur spontaneously. 
Bites from a cat had produced hydrophobia in the human being'. 
Might not rabies have been spontaneous in these cats ? In the 
dog' to which he referred, there were patches of inflammation 
on the stomach; and through the whole of the intestines the mu¬ 
cous coat seemed to be painted as with venous blood, and with 
several patches of ulceration. He thought this a case of spon¬ 
taneous rabies. 
Mr. /. Turner asked, whether Mr. Dewhurst was aware that 
in any case of spontaneous rabies the patient had recovered. 
Mr. Dewhurstr — 1 This was a supposed case of spontaneous 
rabies. I have not had much experience with regard to these 
cases, but I do not know why they should not recover. 
Mr. J. Turner .—Is there any case of cure of supposed spon¬ 
taneous rabies? 
Mr. Field observed that, in cases of abdominal irritation, and 
particularly in cases of intussusception, there may be some symp¬ 
toms of rabies, as savageness, but not the recognized precursor 
symptoms. His father had attended a case in which the dog 
w as exceedingly savage, bit at every thing, and flew at him: he 
refused both food and water, and at length died. It proved to 
be a manifest case of intussusception. He regretted that the 
case mentioned by Mr. Slocombe had not been more closely 
watched, as we might then have had some data on which to 
reason. 
Mr. Dew hurst’s second proposition was then discussed—that 
inflammatory diseases, and particularly those of the viscera, may 
be mistaken for rabies. 
Mr. Slocombe recollected a Newfoundland dog which was 
lying in his kennel with his mouth open, snapping at every thing. 
It did not, however, run about in search oi victims. Two 
drachms of aloes w ere given : the dog was w ell purged, and 
recovered. He thinks that, had the case been neglected, rabies 
might have resulted. 
Mr. Field asked of Mr. Dewhurst, whether inflammation of, or 
vol. in. 4 t 
