MINUTES OF EVIDENCE ON CANINE MADNESS. 693 
into the stomach of a human being without danger ? I have no 
evidence at all upon the subject. ]n the instance of the medical 
man to whose case I alluded, he had been attending a patient 
who was afflicted with hydrophobia, and the patient, when in 
convulsions, had thrown some of the saliva over him, and he 
supposed that it had entered his mouth : he was under that im¬ 
pression ; but it is well known that the poison of serpents may 
be introduced into the stomach of animals with safety : that 
experiment has been made years ago. 
In some cases of rabid persons, is not the disease occasioned 
without any actual contact, as, for instance, similar to cases of 
the small pox: may not the disease of canine madness be com¬ 
municated in the same way, without any actual bite; may it not 
be effected by the atmosphere?—I have no evidence at all of 
that. 
Would you say, from the character of the disease, that it was 
not likely ?—I should think not. 
Have you known any instance of that?—No. 
Do you confine yourself to the transmission of the disease 
from one dog to another?—Yes. I have no evidence upon that 
subject to which you have alluded, but I should doubt it cer¬ 
tainly. The small pox may be communicated by infection, or by 
miasmata in the air; but 1 should think that such would not be 
the case in canine madness. The fact might be ascertained very 
easily, if any person could be induced to carry on a series of 
experiments; and really, the present state of our information 
upon the subject requires that some such experiments should be 
made. 
Are you able to suggest to the Committee any legislative 
measure which could have a good effect as to the suppression of 
canine madness?—Nothing but the destruction of the immense 
number of dogs that you meet about the streets. It is already 
provided that all dogs should be taxed, and their masters ought 
to pay for them. If all persons were obliged to have collars 
round their dogs, it would diminish their number considerably, 
b^t not entirely; for I had a visitation from a mad dog with a 
collar on about six weeks ago: he ran into my house, and I 
destroyed him. 
[To be continued.] 
5 A 
VOL. HI. 
