Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-24
Wasbingtm Sentinel.
Hydrophobia.

1t is no pleasure to dog to 90 mad. Quite
the reverse. Dreadful as hydrophobia may be
to the human being, rabies is worse to the dog.
1t makes its approach more gradually IL lasts
| longer, and it is more intense while II endures.
| The dog that is going mad feels nnweli Tor
| long time prior TO the full development OF the
disease. He is very i'll, but he does not know
what als him. lie feels dissatisfied with every.
| thing; vexed without reason; and, greatly
| against his better nature, very snappish. Feel
| ing thus, he longs to avoid all ANNOYANCE by
| being alone. This makes him seem strange TO
| those who are most accustomed to him. The
| sensation induces him TO seek solitude. But
| there is another reason which decides his choice
j of resting place. The light inhcts upon him
intense agony. The sun is to him an instru-
ment of torture which he therefore studies to
| avoid-for his brain aches and feels as if il
| we're trembling jelly. This induces the poor
brute to find out the holes and corners, where
he is least likely to be noticed, and into which
the light is unable to enter. In solitude and
darkness he passes the day. If his retreat be
discovered, and the masters voice bid him come
forth, the atfectionate creatures countenance
brghtens, his tail beats the ground and he
leaves his hiding place, anxious to obey the
loved authority bit before he has gone half
the distance, kiud of sensation comes over
him which produces an instantaneous change
in his whole appearance. He seems to say to
himself: "Why cannot you let me alone? Go
away Do 90 away! You trouble-pain mel"
And thereupon he suddenly turns tail and darts
back into his dark corner. III let alone, there
he will remain; perhaps frothing little at the
mouth, and drinking great deal of water but
not issuing from his hiding place to seek after
food. His appetites are altered hair, straw,
dirt, filth, excrement, rags, tin shavings, stones,
the most noisome and unnatural substances,
are then the delicacies for which the poor dog,
changed by disease, longs and swallows, in hope
to ease burning stomach. He is most anxious
for liquids. He. is now altogether changed.
Still he does not desire to bite mankind; he
rather endeavors to avoid society he takes
long journeys Of thirty or forty miles in extent
and heightened BY all kinds Of accidents, to
vent his restless desire for motion.
When these journeys he does not walk.
This would be too formal and measured pace
for an animal whose frame guivers with excite
ment. He does not run. That would be too
great an exerton for animal whose body is
the abode Of deadly sickness. He proceeds
in a slouching manner, in kind of trot-a
movement neither run nor walk-and his as
pect is detected. His eyes do not glare and
stare, but they are dull and retracted His az
pearance is very characteristic, and, if once
seen, can never afterwards be mistaken. In
this state he will travel the most dusty roads,
his tongue hanging dry from his open mouth,
from which, however, there drops no loam.
His course is not straight. How could it be
since it is doubtful whether at this period he
sees at ALL His desire is to journey unnoticed
If no one notices him, he gladly passes by
them. He is very i'll; he cannot stay to bite.
If, nevertheless, anything opposes his progress,
he will, as if by impulse, snap--as q man in q
similar state might strickland tell the person
to get out of the way" He may take his road
across a field in which there are flock Of
sheep. Could these creatures only make room
for him, and stand motoness, the dog would
pass on and leave them behind uniniured. But
they begin to run, and at the sound the dog
pricks up his ears. His entire aspect changes.
Rage takes possession of him. What makes
that noise? He pursues it with oil the energy
Of madness. He flies at one, then at another.
He does not mange, nor is his bite, simply
considered, terrible. He cannot pause to tear
the creature he has caught. he snaps and
then rushes onward, till, fairly exhausted and
unable longer 10 follow, he sinks down and the
sheep pass forward, to be no more molested.
He may have bitten twenty or thirty in his mad
onslaught and would have worried more, had
his strength lasted-for the .furOye Of madness
then had possession Of him. He may be slain
while on these excursions but ii he escapes,
he returns home and seeks the darkness and
quiet Of his former abode. His thirst increases,
but with it comes the swelling Of the throat.
He will plunge bis head into water, 50 ravenous
is his desire; but not drop of the liquid can
he swallow, though its surface is covered with
bubbles in consequence of the efforts he makes
to gulp the smallest quantity. The throat is
enlarged to that extent which will permit moth
ing to pass. He is the victim Of the most hor-
rble inflammation Of the stomach, aud the
most intense inflammation of the bowels. His
state Of suffering is most pitiable. He has lost
all sefreliance; even feeling is gone. He flies
at and pulls to pieces anything that is within
his reach. One animal in this condition being
confined near fire, few at the burning mass,
pulled out the live Goals, and in his fury
scrunched them. He emits the most hideous
cries. The noise he makes is incessant and pe.
culiar. 1t begins as bark, which sound being
too torturing 10 be continued, is quickly changed
to a howl, which is suddenly cut short in the
middle and so the poor wretch at last falls,
fairly worn out by terrible disease.
N1Ubetrie Dogs