The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-10-28
RABIES.
The Initial Symptoms and Progress of
the Disease-The Mad Dogs Desire
to Bite.

1t is a great and dangerous error to
suppose that the disease in the dog)
commences with signs of raging mad
ness and that the earliest phase of the
malady is ushered IN with fury and de-
struction. The first perceptible or ini-
tial symptoms of rabies in the dog are
related to its habits. A change is OBJ
served in the animals aspect, behavior,
and external characteristics The habits
of the creature are anomalous and
strange. 1t becomes dull, gloomy, and
tacitTn; seeks to isolate itself, and
chooses solitude and obscurlty-hiding
IN out-of-the-way places, or retiring be-
low chairs and other pieces of furniture;
whereas in health it may have been
lively, gOod-natured, and sociable. But
in its retirement it can not rest; it IS un-
easy and tidgety, and betrays an un-
nlistakable state of Da0t0lSe. No sooner
has it lain down and gathered itself to-
gether in the usual fashion of dog re-
posing than all at once it jumps up in
an agitated manner, walks hither and
thither several times, again lies down,
and assumes sleeping attitude, but has
only maintained it for few minutes
when it is once more moving about
seeking rest but finding none" Then
it retires to its obscure corner-to the
deepest recess it can fnd-and huddles
itself up in heap, with its head con-
cealed beneath its chest and its fore
paws. This state of continual agitation
and inquietude is in striking contrast
with its ordinary habits, and should,
therefore, attract the attention of mind
ful people. Not unfrequently there are
a few moments when the creature ap-
pears more lively than usual, and dis
plays an extraordinary amount of af-
fection. Sometimes in pet dogs there
is evinced a disposition to gather up
small objects, such as straws, threads,
bits of wood, ETC., which are Industrious
ly picked up and carried away. A ten
dency to lick anything cold, as iron,
stones, ETC., is also observed in many
instances. At this period no propensity
to bite is observed; the animal is docile
with its master, and obeys his voice,
though not so readily as before, not
with the same pleased countenance. If
it shakes its tail the act is more slowly
performed than usual, and there is some
thing strange in the expression of the
face; the voice of its master can scarce
ly change it for few seconds from a
sullen gloominess to its ordinary AMI
mated aspect; and when no longer in
huenced by the familiar talk or presence
it returns to its sad thoughts, for, as has
been well and truthfully said by Bouley,
1.-The dog thinks and has its own ideas,
which for dogs ideas are, from its point
of view, very good ideas when it is
we'll"
The animals movements, atti tudes,
and gestures now seem to indicate that
it is haunted by and sees phantoms; it
snaps at nothing and barks as if at
tackled by real enemies It's appearance
is altered; it has gloomy and some
what ferocious aspect.
In this condition, however, it is not
aggressive SO far as mankind is concern
ed, but is as docile and obedient to its
master as before. 1t may even appear
to be more atfectlOnate toward those it
knows, and this it manifests by the
greater desire to lick their hands and
faces.
This affection, which is always so
marked and so enduring in the dog,
dominates it so strongly in rabies that
it will not injure those it loves, not even
in a paroXysm of madness, and even
when its ferocious instincts are begin
ming to be manifested, and to gain the
supremacy over them, it will vet yield
obedience to those to whom it has been
accustomed.
The mad dog has not dread of wa
ter, but, on the contrary, will greedily
swallow it. As long as 1t can drink it
will satisfy its ever-ardent thirst; even
when the spasms in its throat prevent it
swallowing, it will nevertheless plunge
its face deeply into the water and APP
pear to gulp at it. The dog is, there
fore. not hydrophobic, and hydrophobia
IS not a sign of madness in this animal.
1t does not generally refuse food in
the early period of the disease, but
sometimes eats with more vOracity than
usual.
When the desire to bite, which is one
of the essential characteristics of rabies
at certain stage, begins to manifest
itself, the animal at first attacks inert
bodies-gnawing wood, leather, its
chain, carpets, straw, hair, GOALS earth,
the eXcrement of other animals or even
its own, and accumulates in the stomach
tliC ItIilsilIiS VI an ILlC SuDStliiCcS IL udS
been tearing with its teeth.
An abundance of saliva is not con-
slant symptom in rabies in the dog.
Sometimes its mouth is humid, and some
times 1t is dry. Before a fit of madness
the secretion of saliva is normal; dur
ing this period it may be increased but
toward the end of the malady it is usu-
ally decreased.
The animal often expresses q sensa-
ton of inconvenience or pain during
the spasm in its throat, using its paws
on the side of its mouth, like a dog
hich has bone lodged there
In ''dumb madness" the lower jaw is
paralyzed and drops, leaving the mouth
open and dry, and its lining membrane
exhibiting a reddish-brown hue, the
tongue is frequently brown or blue-col-
ored, one or both eyes squint, and the
creature is ordinarily helpless and not
aggressive.
In some instances the rabid dog
vomits a chocolate or blood-colored
fluid.
The voice is always changed in tone,
and the animal howls in quite a differ
ent fashion to what it did in health
The sound is husky and Jerking. In
dumb madness this very important
symptom is absent.
The sensibility of the rabid dog is
greatly blunted when it is struck, burn
ed or wounded; it emits no cry of pain
or sign as when it suffers or is afraid in
health. 1t will even sometimes wound
itself severely with its teeth, and with
out attempting to hurt any person it
knows.
The mad dog is always very much en-
ragged at the sight of an animal of its
own species. Even when the malady
might be considered as yet in a latent
condition, as soon as it sees another
dog 1t shows this strange antipathy and
| appearS desirons of attacking If This