The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-07-04
TO AVOID HYDROPHOBIA.
How Rnbid Dogs May be Told-Prevention
of the Disease.

Ol tnc DIScuhc.
People generally imagine that when a
dog is "mad" his disease is Immediately
characterized by furious manifestations
and frantic movements. This is false
idea. Often quite the reverse takes
place. An affectionate dog will not be-
come ferocious and estranged in q single
day; it is by slow degrees that the transi-
tion comes. But even in that first
period, from the moment that the first
symptoms of hydrophobia show them
selves, the saliva of the animal is
virulet. Beware of dog which begins
to be sick. All sick dogs, as principle,
must be suspected. Beware especially
of one that is sad, morose and seeks for
solitude; one that does not know where
to rest; one that goes and comes, ram
bles about, snaps and barks without
reason, whose looks are dull and gloomy
and whose bright expression is lost.
Beware of the dog that looks about and
attacks imaginary phantoms: Beware
of one that is suddenly too affectionate.
asking for your caresses by his pitiful
and repeated cravings. The mad dog is
not of necessity hydrophobic. He is not
afraid Of water, and he will not run away
| if one offers him drink. He will drink as
long as he is able to swallow. Rabid dogs
have been known to swim across rivers.
The bark of the mad dog is thoroughly
characteristic. Instead of the normal
and successive barks it is hoarse, lower
in tone, prolonged and not so strong.
After the first bark, made at full strength,
q series of five, six, seven or eight others
Immediately succeed, lower in strength
and thrown out from the throat. The
bravest and strongest dog will, in the pres
ence of mad dog, show cowardice and,
instead of attempting to fight with him,
will try to escape. The rabid dog is
always violently impressed and irritated
by the sight of animals of its own species.
It is generally believed that the mad dog
salivates abundantly, that he froths at
the mouth. This is serious error. The
salivary secretion is increased in hydro
phobia only when the disease is at it's
paroxysms. The cat may become rabid,
but fortunately seldom. Set it down
fortunately, for the rabid cat is more
terrible and more dangerous than the
dog. The rabid cat knows its master no
longer. It aims its blow at the face.
The danger from mad dogs in the winter
is about the same as in the heat of sum-
mer. In the spring cases are more fire.
quent and in the autumn less frequent.
Sensitiveness to pain is greatly diminish
ed in the mad dog. When whipped,
burned or wounded he does not cry nor
utter any complaint. The mad dog runs
away from home, but after two or three
days absence he returns to die near his
master. The surest way OF preventing
the effects of rabid inoculation from the
bite of mad dog is the immediate call
tcrization of the wound with the actual
cautery or with burning gunpowder or
some other caustic agent. If the cau-
terization cannot be done Immediately
after the bite, one must, while waiting
wash the wound, press it thoroughly to
squeeze the blood out, suck it with the
lips (spitting out the liquid immediately,
compress the edges Of the wound, and, if
possible, apply aligature about the limb
to arrest the circulation of blood.-
Philadelphia Herald.'