National Republican., 1873-06-24
THE MAD-DOG QUESTION.
THE BOARD OP HElLTTS OPINION.

on the sahlect-sclenee OF Roth Ancienta
and Nrederns Called to Describe the
Terrible M.i-dy-yaiuabie Hint. fer
Its PreventIen.
The following report, prepared by DR.. &. q.
Cox, was presented 10 the Board Of Health At IL
recent meeting, and ss q Ia an Intelligent dis
cussIon Of matter whkh interests all readers
Of the REPUBLICAN, II Ia published In full
II has been deemed Of sufficlent Importance
to the protection Of the health and lives Of the
people that the sanitary committee should re-
port such information on the su bject Of hydro
phobla as may be OF practical utility In prevent
ing that fearful and incunble malady.
Canine madness, or hydrophobla, may be re-
garied as endemic In all countries, except, per-
hape, Syria aud Egypt, and Ia occasionally cpl
1emlc. Il Is confined to no geographical limits
and revels In no special climate, but Ia equally
destructive In winter as In summer; In autumn
as in spring.
Recent lamentahle instances Of the fatal effects
Of hydrophobla have attracted much public at
tention, and made II the duty Of sanltarianH 10
furnish the people with such knowledge Of the
notice OF the approaching danger, as well as
teach the most approyed means OF preventing
the deadly consequences Of actual injury BY
Il Is mot our purpose to treat Of hydrophobla,
It's history, progress, and the views at various
periods OF Its pathology and treatment. Nor
asSe W. S 70 no 10 rn s gISs r. ~, e human
ton. Suggestive and instructive as are these
topics the consideration OF them Is outside Of
our duty. As Samaritans we are interested In
the prophylactlc or preventive rather than the
curative.
In the prevention Of hydrophobla II Is Of pri-
mary Importance 70 understand thoroughly the
symptoms Of madness In the dogs, In Oftler, by
discovering the existence Of the danger, 10
guard against 10, especially as the poison pro
ducing hydrophooia In the human subject Is In:
corpofated In the saliya Of the rabld animal, and
may enter the blood from penetrating bite or
from contact Of the virus with the abraded, alb
sorbing surface Of an ordinary sore or ulcer.
Probably the most reliable description OF the
disease, as t Affects the dog, Is TO be found IN
louatts WORK on Canine Madness"
The disease, he says, ''maniiests ltself under
two forms Tue furious form, characterized by
augmented activity Of the sensorial and iOcomo-
tive systems, q disposition to bite and = con-
linucd peculiar bark. The animal becomes al
tered In habits aud disposition, has an incllna-
ton TO llck or carry inedibIe substances, Is rest
and attached. soon thers is ioss Of appetite,
and thirst, the mouth and tongue swollen; the
eyes red dull and halt closed; the skin Of the
| forehead wrinkled; the coat rough and starring
| the gait unsteady aud staggering; there II pc
| riodIc disposition 70 bite, the animal III ap-
| preaching Is often quiet and friendly, and then
snaps; latterly, there Is paralysis Of the extrem-
tiles; the breathing and degiutition become af-
fected by spasms; the external surface irritable,
I
and perverted; commissions may occur. These
| symptOms are paroxismal; they rtanit and inter-
init, and are often excited by sight, hearing or
ness and depression, in wnioh there Il no II dlspo @
| sltion to bite and no fear of 1uds. The dog ap-
pears to be unusually quiet, Is melancholy, and
mas depression Of splrits; although he has no
fear Of water he does not drink; he makes no At
| tempt to ute, and seems haggard and suspl-
cious, avoiding society and refusing food. The
breathing Is labored, and the bark "a harsh,
| uah ali ra1 N fsna ha U,f Ia
from the dropping OF the Jaw; the tongue pro-
| trudes, and the saliva Ia constantly flowing. The
breathing soon becomes more diificult and labo-
nous; there are tremOrs and vomiting and con-
| yulsiOns.r
YIchow, In his "Iiandbuch der PATHOLOGY um
| Theraple," cOmbats the theory Of two distinct
forms, and cOntends that the conditions de-
scribed are mere prolongation Of different stages
Of the maladI. Holmes, In his system Of
surgery" gives the views Of this eminent
pAthOlogist A. derived from his Interesting
symptoInatic changes Of canine rabies:
"rhe nrst stage IL the melancholic, and u
often unnotced and unrecogniEed at It's outset
still there may he observed palpable ehAngt
In the natural condition, Alterations Of depfes
sion and exultation, Testlessness aud change Ui
i place, sudden waking from sleee, irrita6liiy
Jernnged digestion, anoreNia. The dog ha,
often agreedy appetite, but sometimes leavc'
mis- food or snaps at II; there Ii natural thirs
and no fear Of water. After these prcmonitor,
: soon becomes developed; there Ia great susoep
tibility In the clcatTik. When bite or wouIi,
mas been the antecedent q change Of affection
! own urine and cal the faces Of other dogs;
peculiar idosyncrasy 10 take all sorts OF un
wholesome and indlgestible thlngr, such a
straw, paper, wood, &c.; there Is much sexua
/, excitement aud licking Of the genitals Of othe
dogs; he seems friendy with the cat, but ex
hibits marked change Of affection toward hi
: naster;ne becomes shy and awkward, and avoid
. observation. The organs OF deglutitlon anl
: respiration become involved; there are spasm
and difficulty OF swallowing, as u sOInethin
was sticking in the throat alteration In the voice
, arrest OF saliyary secretion; application OF th
tongue To cold substances, such a. stone, iron
&c. Changes also take place In the motor ~,
t-m, for In all there Is more or less debility Gn
! weakness
i, "rhe second stage Is the excitable and furioui
. II commences generally In from one to thre
4 days, but may set In after twelve hours; It
This incltation, the height of the disease Ii nc
: | always uniform In Its course. The parnxyam
!. are strong gest and longest at the onset, con
!. mencing with restlessness and incltabity;
u runs out OF the house, attempts TO bite, zoe
| from place TO place without thought or reasoI
y endeayors 10 break his chain or destroy h
y kenneL and, on his inability 70 do so, increase
tances. IL Is this proneness 10 bite which rel
y ders this period so dangerous. The parOxysm
may last several hours, and often even who
e day; then follows q remission, which is very d,
l. ceptiye, AZ all the signs Of disturbance suOsd
: out the dog. aware OF his unsoclAblllty, gene
IT ally hides. The disease Is very often describe
from dogs who have been hunted, hOOted, an
a followed about In the streets and goaded on
q madness, and In these severe symptoms Al
y superadded such as painting and dow Of salyl
e water, thTusting OF the tail between Inc Ieg
starting Of the hairs, 4c., &C. Tue chief ali
!. prominent symptoms Of this stage consist
7 of acute mania and dellriuin, dlsobe,ilence' n
!. knowledge OF his master, no avoidance OF laI
n ger, sudden anger aud snaPpiAhness, outbursi
Of wildness, loss Of general sensation and a
q deglntition are altered tone OF voice belwee
: barking and bowling, indicative OF extreme al
Z sIess, swelling Of The fAnoes, tongue and nos,
= The movements Of the body are rash and hast,
and the hearts impulse strong. The duTatlo
= Of this stage varies; II generally lasts three {
!, four days, passing into the next and nnal stag,
In death, through form Of apoplexy.
J. "The third stage 10 the paralytic. The parol
9 ysms now become weaker aud IemlltehJ n
!. hanks sink in, the head extrcmites are T wea "a
: and iamei ne lies on one SUE In great prostrl
: ton; but when reused, issti snapplsh and bite
8 II able TO walk, he totteS and drags himse
along; the eyes are sunken and tnll, me moul
q open and dry, the tongue hanging out and har,
/ the heart action weak, Irregular and lntenni
the psts aaS, SS
{ from the nrst attack"
: the signs Of Madness, publlshed Tor the 'be
!, hydrophobia" by the Council Of Hygiene, Of Bo
: deaux, which have been currently published {
G late In the newspapers, are brief and readily III
!. derstood. They are IS follows;
"a short time, sometimes two days, after mat
| ness has seized q dog, It creates symptoms
the animal which II is indispensable 10 reooRnIE,
: al. There Ia agitation and restlessness, an
the dog turns himself continually In his Eenne
II he be at liberty, be goes and comes an
Y seems 70 be seeking something; then he remain
: motlonless, a. u waiting; then starts, bites Ii
J, air, as n he would catch fiy, and dashes hin
= self, howliDg and barking. against the wal
= Tho voice Of his master dissipates these hAlluc
= nations; the dog obeys, but slowly, with heslti
y ton, Is II with regret.
"a He does not try TO bite; be Is gentle, eve
y his litter, the ends Of curtains, the padding
cushions, the coyerllds OF the beds, carpots' A,
"s. BY the movements Of bis paws about IN
= sides Of his open mouth one might think he wa
y trying TO free his throat Of bone.
~. His voice undergoes such change that
y Is impossible not TO be struck by Il.
y go. The dog begins TO nght with other dog
= This is decidedly Characteristic sign, n the do
= = be generally peaceful
"The three symptoms last mentioned lndicat
: an advanced period Of the disease, aud that IN
! dog may become dangerous at any moment,
! immediate measures are not taken. Il IA best I
chain him up at once, or, better STILL 10 Kill him
|. The succeeding and last link In the chain q
preventive measures u the manner In which th
wound inflicted by the bite OF q rabid anlmI
should be treated. This ls OF great lmportano,
inasmuch as, having failed TO avert the feaTfI
, injury 20 the person, the poison may often b
, neutfallzed, or prevented from being AbsOTbe
int sha IaIln nv Faa IN m