Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-30
HYdrophaAia.

MADNESS IN Does.--A very important vorl
has tast been issued on Hydrophobia lie Neil
ler Preseryatif de Ia Rage, Paris, 1860, svo.,
PIP, o4l oy M. samson, whose name il distin
guished among chemists by the discovery OF
dextrine in the blood Of animals. I say nv.
drophobia, ~ that is the term generally recog.
ogniHed In America, though M. Samson cousid-
ers its use lamentabie error, rs leading 10
| the belief that dogs are not mad when they
show no horror Of water. IL appears certain,
on the contrary, from many facts addueed by
thls savant, that In the majority Of cases, when
aog runs mad he is seised with q burning
thirst, which is often satis6 ed sby drinkinS
aoundantly Other authorities testify to the
same fact, especially the English veterinary
author, Youatt. Another fact established bv
M Samson is, that an animal may be attacked
by the disease, at the same time remaining
submissive to his master and even caressine
hlm-which Is, indeed, almost always the case
unless he is naturally fierce and intractable.
Indeed, the poor brute often appears, by re-
doubled tokens Of affection, to implore the aid
OF ms master to relieve his terrible sufferinps
with these caresses, however may ALWAYS be
observed dowrcast, guilty look which is one
OF the most certain symptoms of the disease
AS IL Is difficult to describe this gloomy look
In print, III. Samson has introduced in his book
awood cut representing, in very vivid man
ner, the countenance Of a mad dog. A symp-
tom OF the approach of the disease on which
the author lays great stress, Is an almost con.
slant restiessness, without apparent cause or
motive. According to Youatt, Whose work
M: samson praises highly, and from which,
indeed, he has taken much of his best matter,
the dog runs about, to and fro, and is contin.
ualiy getting up and lying down, changing his
position In every possible manner. he piles
MS bed up in heap, and appears to take
great pleasure in resting his chest on It; and
tnen OF a sudden he will get up and push it all
away If shut up, he viii not remain a mo-
ment in repose, but turns up and down like
Gagged tiger. If at liberty, he will appear to
De searching for some lost object, and will dig
in every hole and corner with great eagerness,
out with no fxity Of purpose. His brain sp-
given in which dog undertook to attack
irall with great violence, and soon afterward
died mad. But beside these general Fremont
tory symptoms, there is one which the author
considers infallible. Approaching madness
imPresses such a change upon the vocal organs
OF the dog, that his howl, once heard, can
never again be mistaken. 30 important il the
sign deemed by NJ. Samson that he has tried
to give by musical notes some idea of this
"rabid bowling" as he terms it, in it's three
principal varieties.
he adds, that though this method NAV not
enureiy succeed in conveying the right idea,
1.-THE hearing Of the sound in nature, though
put single time, produces an impression SO
distinct and so profound that no one can ever
forget it.. He also calls the attention to the
ootIse state Of physical sensibility manifested
oy the mad dog, upon which subject he re-
iates many interesting facts. He examines the
question Of the poisonous properties of the virus
with great care, and finds that two thirds, on
the average, of persons bitten escape the dis
ease, unless it be brought on by terror, which
ne believes to be the most powerful cause.
Iaking this view Of the matter, he recommends
the use, for the purpose of inspiring confidence,
OF almost any one of the almost innumerabje
receipts for hydrophobia that are every day
brought before the public, provided that pre-
viously all the wounds by which the saliva
could have reached the blood have been deeply
cauterized with a red-hot iron. All these
remedies, according to him, are only valuable
as they impart sense of security to the patient
Such are the chief ideas contained in this very
interesting work. / have especially detailed
the premonitory symptoms of the disease, as it
often happens that . dog is. mad for long time
before any one dreams of it; and as, moreover,
an ounce Of prevention is worth a pound Of
cure. -