The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-05
ALL ABOUT MAD DOGS.
THE SYMPTOMS OF MADNESS FULLY AND
CLEARLY DESCRIBED.
An Able and Interesting Letter From
DIR. WnddelI in Which he Offers
Some Valuable and Comforting
Suggestions About Mad Dogs


Editor Press and Banner:
Frequent Instances of b ydrophobia have, re-
Gently been published in the newspapers and
other periodicals. One instance in particular
has induced me to offer some information
that may be of service to persons bitten by Il
supposed mad dog. will not state that in
Stancei in detail, but merely allude to itas the
deplorable death of gentleman in the prime
of manhood, partly, if not wholly, rom the
fear of hydrophobia, after being dog bitten.
In the first place, it must not be taken for
granted that every dog that has u ut, or 10
otherwise sick, or that is evidently eStray is
rabid, or mad. Grave mistakes are made IN
killing dogs under such conditions, especially
if they have bitten q human being Such
dogs should be secured and con1lned CndcI
close observation fora few days. Indeed, ii
rabid and in an advanced Stage OF the dis.
ease, few hours, perhaps a few minutes, will
he sufficient. 10 render this advice at all val
liable it is necessary to disseminate correct
ideas as to the condition known as dog-Inad'
ness, or In professional language, rabies cunt
ma. There are two varieties OF rabies: the
rlying madness, and the dumb macneSS.
The beginning OF raring madness is OCCASION
ally quite obscure. III the greater number OF
cases, however, ordinary observations Will de-
tect more or less sullcnnesS and an uneasy
and sometimes irritable re>tlcsSncsS; Il pre-,
vailng disposition 10 change their bed and
residence; great diSpoS tlon To lick coid SUD-
stances; Unsuitable thirst and greedy con-
sumption of water as long as they are able 10
lap and drink it, and other fluids; loss OF APP
petite, especially for solid, natural food (occl-
Sionally some dogs will lakea small amount
OF good food y they tear up aud cat various
unsuitable substances, as wood, leather,
straw, wool, &c; obstinate cOStlVencsS;
disposition to bite, especially if angered,
or if the dog be Of an irritable temper;
frequent vicious snaps in the air as II they
were catching gnats or1lics when neither may
be about them sudden and furious rushing
at illusory objects. and sometimes coming IN
violent contact with wall. Dr lence, the GlS-
tnnce to whiciothey had evidently miScalcu.
lated; from this state the magic influence OF
the masters voice recalls them and dispells
their terror and they crawl towards him WITH
their natural expression of attachment ana
devotion, but these lncid moments are tram
sient; in ba,l cases they seem inSensibe to
pain and frequently tear out their front teeth
IN biting their chain or other hard substances.
and viciouSly seize and grind up 1--we Goals OF
fire if accessible, without the least indcal ion
of pain ; among he chief things to be noticed
is Il peculiar change in the voice, or bark; tn e
bark Is harshcr, perhaps c,arser than nltur'
nj, ard is Immediately followed by short
peculiar howl, nearly us if both sounds were
cannot be mistaken; they do not lose their
Consciousness except during paroXysmS u--
til shortly before death ut first their appear
anre is very slightly changed; about the Sec
ond or third uay their eyes usually become
Redeemed and are occasionally closed at In.
tcrralS fora few seconds; at this time The
skin on the forehead is drawn into folds, or
wrinkle les, giving the animals sleepy, Surly,
fretrul appearance; subsequently the eyes be.
come dull and languid, but never fiery and
lively as at first; most acquire rough anu
rugged appearance and all III short time
become remarkably wasted or emaclated ;
the mouth is generally rather dry than mo st
and therefore without foam or over-runninS
saliva, except when the throat is decidedly
and systematically affected, so that the sail
va cannoth he swallowed, and then the small
ners of the mouth is tough, viscid and glu-
tinous; SO long as the dog has power, and SO
long us it is not pursued, it carries its tail
naturally waggug it cheerfully rs it may fam
down loosely and languidly - it is never
tucked under the body like that of a scared
dog the gait is not altered at first, nor do
they always, as is commonly believed, travel
only in ~ straight line, but IL undiSturbPu
run about in various directions or along the
road, and spring aside only when a paroX-
ySn seiZes them, in order To bite. Many
dogs, however, In u later period Of the dis
ease when they have become beWiluered ana
confused do keep straight forward until their
course is changed by some accidental circum-
stance or terminated by death; In their fu-
riouS state they wander over thy country
bent on mischief attacking man and beast
particularly dogs
These ldicatlons Of raving madness In the
dog are principally derived from the descrip-
tOn OF rabies by Hertwig. a German physi-
clan. who had Il practical knowledge OF the
subject. Many vivid illustrations and elab-
orations of these symptoms could be drawn
from other eminent sources, including the
work of Veterinary Surgeon Iouatt. But l
trust enough has been written to enable the
ordinary observcrto recognize rabies III the
dog.
DR.. CheluS describes dumb madness as
characterized "by change Of manner becOm-
ing less lively and wutcllful, more quiet, rest
full and melancholy: the lower jaw drops as
n.l vpd lln n
ground and every thing. even fluids, which
the animal wishes to swallow, drops from its
mouth. 1t can therefore bite but little, as the
inclination to bite, to run, and even To rest
resemble those Of ravin" madness. The
course ofthe disease in both forms is always in.
definite and in all cases runs on to death. The
attack progresses 10y gradual but daily vast:
ing OF the TISSUES and failure OF the vital
powers. and terminates six or eight days af'
ter the first par%ySn. Sometimes death Oc.
ours earlier and the animal dies suddenly as
If from appoplcSy."
The poinnt / wish to emphasize is this: II
person is bitten by 4 dog that cannot, Ger
tainly, he pronounced rubid by the tests Civ
ell above, he should dismiss from his mind rs
absurd any fear of hydrophobia. Moleover
hydrophoha docs not always follow on the
bite of Il really rabd animal. he IL dog, cat
or wolf In Europe where most of the hydro
phobia cases occur, 1t Is only about fifteen per
cent. of those bitten who have hydrnphohla
lLeL tlltll loph III tilc ldCtS WI tiiC
in every case calmly and nationally, and not
be frightened, perhaps to death, a: something
that cannot lnppcn If the dog is not ribld
ana that probably may not happen even II
his madness is fully established.
The most agreeable reflection in connection
with this important subject consists in q
knowledge OF the tact,that NJ. Pastcur, the
great French chemist and scientist. has de-
mon>trated his ability to stamp out rabies in
the dog. In the .Neiicrl .N"ms of April 2'th OF
this year, DR.. Geo. NJ. Stcrabrrg, Surgeon
United States Army. gives an. account OF his
visit TO NJ. PaSteur's laboratory yearago. In
which he states that "PaSteur had fully satiS
fled himself by repeated experiments that
dogs could be rendered immune even after
they had hecn bitten by Il rabid animal.
That means that dogs cannot he infected
and therefore will not, or cannot become
abid. Then why not begin the stamping on,
process by compulsory Legislation, curtailinp
the number of dogs and requiring under !;
heavy penalty. incubation of the remainder
and all succeeding dogs, against rabies. There
is nothing impracticable OF Irrational IN tho
proposition. l cite n parallel nct;-vaccina
tion OF man against small poX is cnmpulso