St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-11
MAD DOGS.
Manager w. e. Sterling. of the
Peoples Theater, Explodes Some
Popular FalIacies.

Popular F'alIaCleS.
Manager w. E. Sterling, of the Peo-
pies theater, who is one of the most
noted dog fancierS in the country, and
the author of "The Dog Fancier's Com
plete Medical Guide" was last evening
talking with party of friends about the
rabies, orhydrophobia, and as hot weather
is approaching, his remarks are
interesting. Among other things he
said: people are generally ignorant
not only of the causes of hydrophobia,
but its symptoms even. The impression
is that mad dog is laboring under
something like a fit, which at
lacks it suddenly. Now, dog never
goes mad all at once, and the
preliminary symptoms can be readily
noticed long before the animal becomes
dangerous, or is even inclined to bite.
Another popular error is the idea that
the bite of rabid dog is necessarily
fatal, but | venture to say that two
thirds of those who are bitten by mad
dogs escape hydrophobia even without
further treatment than is necessary for
diate application to the wound of caustlc
is positive preventive of the disease.
Hysteria and other Spasmodic affec-
lions are often mistaken for hydro
phobia, and the patient may die from
fright, constituting the "hydrophobia"
of the newspapers. Flemming speaks
of a woman bitten by dog and
who seemed to be in good health,
but was met two months after
wards by couple of students, who, by
the way of joke, told her the dog was
mad. She was soon after seized with con-
vulsiops, and died in forty-eight hours.
DIR. Hunter says a gentleman who re-
ceived a severe bite from dog soon
fancied the animal was mad. He
felt horror at the sight of
liquids, and was actually convulsed in
attempting to swallow them. So un-
controllable were his prepossessions that
DR.. Hunter was convinced that he
would have died had not the dog which
inflicted the wound been found and
brought into the room in perfect health.
This soon restored his mind to a state
of tranquility; the sight of water no
longer affected him, and he quickly re-
covered. The symptoms of rabies
should be well studied by every
owner of a dog, that all unneces-
sary alarm on the subject may be
avoided. At first the animal laboring
security: he becomes dull, gloomy and
Irritable; he will hide in unaccustomed
places, but finding no rest is continu-
ally on the move. A dog suffering from
disease will exhibit similar signs of un-
eaSiness, but the animal is impelled by
pain, while in rabies the dog seems
drawn by some INVISIBLE magnetism.
Sometimes he will gaze steadily at an
imaginary object. ending by either snap
ping at the supposed enemy or topping
over upon his head as if his limbs sud-
denly failed him. The spell is then
broken and the dog sinks at once from
observation. At other times he will
gather pieces of wood, straw, ETC., work
ing with the mysterious method of a
somnambulist. He will eat the most
filthy and revolving substances, and has
occasionally fits of anger, yet shows no
disposition to bite his friend. His mouth
becomes filled with gluey secretion
that gums his jaws together. He tries
to eXJricate it with his paw, working in
the most violent manner. These
are infallible signs. There is a
singular brightness of the ewes
at first, but they soon change and be-
come dull and wasted. The voice also
will become completely altered, and
soon you will hear the ''rabid how'll ,;
which will certainly end all doubts as
to the disease. The dog elevates his
head, gives short and distinct bark,
and changes at once to long and dis.
tinct howl in much higher key. ANY
dog may bark or howl, but only a rabid
one will join both together.
LAS soon as it is plain a dog
is rabid he should be at once
killed, or at least given into
the hands of veterinary surgeon
If person has been bitten, the wound
must be at once we'll washed with warm
water. and lunar caustic applied i'm the
most thorough manner to the very in
most recesseS of the wound. 1t should
be done as soon as possible after the in
jury is received. Ii the wound is moi
deep red-hot iron may be used; but il