Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-09-08
From 4Frank Forroster's"F Fled Sports.
Canine Madness.

From my childhood upward nave 0een
among dogs. My father kept a large
kennel of Pointers and Settlers; from the
age of ten yearsI was among Fox-hounds.
| lived, up to my visiting the United States.
in Yorkshire, perhaps the most sporting
county in England and since have been
a man, l never have been without one
dog, and much oftener have owned half
a dozen. ~
During this space of time, certainly not
less than thirty-fve years of clear and
comprehensive memory, l have never seen
mad dog, nor heard an authenticated
instance of a dog being mad, though l
have seen hundreds knocked on the head
as mad, which were infinitely saner than
their slayers.
The consequence of this fact-for a
fact it is-was, that for many years | was
a disbeliever, if not in the possibility of
canine madness at ALL at least in the pos
sibility of its communication to any animals
but those of the canine race. And all
the deaths attributed to hydrophobia-as
the disease is most absurdly misnamed-
assigned to tetanus-lock jaw-to in
flammatory disease arising from punCtured
wounds, and symtematic state of body
to Imagination and to terror.
OF these maladies, am still well salts
fed that four ffths of the persons said to
die hydrophobous, are the victims, as well
as of malpractice in cutting and burning
the parts.
Since studying Bayline's Canine Pa
thology, am satisfied that carried my
theory too far, and that the disease is
communicable to the human race, although
the disease, even in the dog, is unusual.
The ignorance concerning this malady,
the superstitious awe IN which it is held
the absurdly sanguinary laws, and the
popular manla-for | can call it nothing
else-existing in this country with regard
to that highly useful and excellent animal
the dog, which has been properly styled
the natural friend of man, have induced
me to spend considerable space to the
symptoms, treatment, and diagnosis Of
canine madness, both in the animal and
in the human being.
Canine madness, if taken in hand in
stantly, is disease infinitely more under
the control of the mediciner, than hall
the maladies to which we are liable
more so than malignant fever, for instance
and more so than any serious infamma'
ton; if neglected until to late, it is fatal
so are they. But had / my choice to-
morrow, of being bitten by certainly
rabid dog, or of anattack of violent bron
chitis, Inflammation of the lungs or bowels
or scarlet or typhus fevers, l would GER
tainly choose the dog. The remedy /:
severe and painful, but it is at least in
! fallible. j..
Hear now what Blame, canine veterl
marian of the first order, says on the sub
iect. On the dog Mr.. Blame is what Mr.
Alternately, or Sir Ashley Cooper, are OF
the man, and bis opinions are entitled II
the like respect.
Mr.. Youatt comedies in the opinion tina
rabies is produced by incubation alone
This statement alone, on such authority
ought to go far towards allaying the pub
lie terrors on this subject, and TO mitlgat
ing the absurd ferOcity of the laws an
nually passed by those everywhere OF
earth most stupid, ignorant, obstinate
prejudiced and tyrannical of all bodies
| mean aldermanic corporations!
1t may be held as positive and estab
lished fact, that unless bitten by othe
dogs. dogs never go mad.
"The remote causes Of spontaneou
rabies, us advocated by the favorers o
that doctrine, are various. Heat has Ion!
been considered as grand agent, but tn,
direct proof to the contrary are fast wear
ing away this prejudice. 1t is known tha
many countries under the torrid zone ar
entirely free from canine madness; AM
in such hot countries as tits found. 1t doe
not appear that by the heat of the climat
it gains any accession to its frequency o
morbid character. We have Burrow'
authority for stating that is almost, if no
entirely, unknown over the vast continen
of South America. In many of the West
ern isles it is a stranger, and IN Egypt
Volney says he never heard of it. Lar
rev, Brown and others, inform US that
has never visited the burning cline Q
Syria.
The quality and quantity of the foo
has been assigned as cause of rabies
but In dOos which have been accidental