581 
CANINE MADNESS. 
M. Berthaud states that two mad dogs were lately taken 
to the Veterinary School at Alfort, and after being shut up 
in a cage they exhibited all the symptoms of rabies, making 
desperate efforts to escape and attack the bystanders. After 
some days both had puppies, and alternately they mani¬ 
fested maternal affection and gave way to paroxysms of 
madness. At length they died, and the puppies are being 
kept to see if they will become affected with rabies like their 
mothers. 
SUSPECTED HYDROPHOBIA. 
A dog manifesting all the symptoms of hydrophobia was 
shot a few days back in the Rue Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. 
The animal, which belonged to M. Cardot, of the Cafe 
Fran 9 ais, near the Gvmnase, was taken to the Veterinary 
School at Alfort, where, on its being subjected to an autopsy, 
a quantity of ha}q plaster, and pebbles was found in its sto¬ 
mach. This is not the first time that a perversion of the 
appetite and a tendency to greedily swallow foreign sub¬ 
stances have been remarked as a precursory sign of hydro¬ 
phobia, like the change of voice and particular howl raised by 
dogs menaced with that terrible malady. A large cat which 
had licked the blood of this same dog showed also symptoms 
of madness, and was obliged to be killed. Fortunately no one 
had been bitten by the dog. 
NEW TEST EOR STRYCHNIA. 
Mr. J. Horsley has found a more powerful reagent for 
strychnia in the nitro-prusside of sodium. He says a com¬ 
parison between it and the bichromate of potash is immensely 
in its favour, the extreme limit of detection (where no other 
alkaloid is present) being Toofoojth ; indeed, 75,000 is quite 
marked, while the bichromate scarcely reaches 3000. There 
is also a greater degree of intensity, as well as persistency of 
colour, and he considers it the test par excellence. 
It is useful as a precipitant of strychnia, the crystals being 
in the form of very long spiculae and sometimes needles, 
which strike a splendid colour with sulphuric acid. 
