Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-07-27
THE DOGS NERVOUS SYSTEM
Hydrophobia Il o Misuomer-Rabics and
Other Canine Diseases

Hydrophobia IL o Misnomer-Rabics and
Other Canine Diseases.
So great Is the popular dread OF
hydrophobia that q slight derange-
ment Of the dogs nervous system Is
often mistaken for symptoms Of rabies,
while dog In commissions, In an cpl
leptic 1T or stricken with apoplexy
may be shot rs INDEPENDENTLY II 1t
be hot weather-before there Is q
chance OF determining the nature Of
his disease. The principal centers OF
the nervous system are the brain and
the spinal cord. These Stonehenge
compares to the electric telegraph.
The brain he calls the central Office.
From that station are issued messages
to ali parts Of the body and the wires
which carry those messages are the
nerves OF motion. the nerves OF SEN
sation and the nerves Of organic life,
all OF which have their separate gan
g,ia, or the lesser station masters.
The normal movements o. the body
are the result of harmonious, co-ordi-
mated functional activity Of the neuro-
muscular mechanism. l. e., Of the nerve
centcrs, nerves and muscles In con-
WILSON'S the movements are purpose
less and irregular and are, Of course,
wasteful Of the animal energies. A
dog may have At from over.cxertion
In the heat Of the sun, from neuralgia
pains, or from too thache. from menin-
gifts, excessive fright, parasite In the
nose or brain. acute ear disease or
from the distress Of being lost In q
large city: or. IL female. of being
deprived of her whelps. Recently II
has been shown that mental distress
has the power to give dog diabetes
Il stands TO reason, therefore, that so
sensitive an animal should never be
unduly excited.
On no account allow one dog to see
another in a fit The suffering dog
should have his head wet, and should
be kept for time in dark, quiet
place free from all excitement. In
most cases of commissions a small dose
of bromide of potassium will do great
good. Hydrophobia, considered us
canine disease. Is decidedly u misno-
mer. The proper term for canine mad
ness Is rabies. The rabid dog has mo
fear of water" On the contrary, he
Graves It. and, unless pnralvzea, he has
no difficulty In swallowing It, Rabies
Is specific disease of the nervous sys-
TEN. In all cases there is an intense
inflammation of the brain and spinal
marrow, ending in loss OF function.
which Is a result common to infiamed
glands The mucous glands OF the
stomach and bowels, the liver, the
pancreas and the kidneys are all more
or less injected with blood; but the
salivary glands are especially affected.
and the secretion of saliva Is greatly
increased. There is the furious or
maniacal form of rabies and the para
lytie The paralytic is known rs dumb
rabies Absolutely typical cases of
either form are as rare rs Is the dis
ease. Death. however, usually results
In from two to ten days in the furious
form, while In dumb rabies the period
Is much shorter.
The howl or bark OF n mad dog Is
very remarkable. 1t Is totally unlike
his ordinary voice, and is sonorous and
melancholy to a degree. No one need
mistake II. The dogs appetite Is so
perverted that he will swallow stones,
sticks. straws and almost any filth.
His biting and swapping are reflex ac-
tious; they should not be regarded as
deliberate. II Is then that no is really
dangerous. Irritability is an advanced
stage of rabies In the earlier stages
the animal is sullen and inclined to
hide away In corners His eyes grow
wild and suspicious. II large, he will
roam over large tracts Of country Mt u
log trot, with his head down and his
tongue out In dumb rabies there Is
nm entire absence OF excitement. The
muscles OF mastication are paralyzed
so that the lower jaw is dropped; there
Is no maniacal stage Mt all.
Epileptical commissions are due to an
irregular discharge OF the nerve cells.
They occur unexpectedly, are of vari-
able duration. and the spasms are OF
two kinds. A prolonged muscular con-
traction Is called u tonic spasm. Fol-
lowing the tonic spasm are the clonic
spasms, which consist Of alternate con-
traction and relaxation. The dog, like
the human subject, will froth at the
mouth and bite the tongue. Epilepsy
may be hereditary, or may be due to
teething and worms
Apoplexy differs greatly from cpl
lepsy. The convulsions are not promi-
nent; the pupils of the eyes are either
contracted or dilated; there is long
continued Inconsistencies and more or
less paralysis.
Meningitis, so often mistaken for
ra bies, is yet very different The tenn
pcrature is much elevated, which 1t Is
not In rabies; the dog snaps, but shows
no tendency to bite, and there Is no
particular bark and howl combined,
although the dog voice is high pitched.
Phrenitis Is simple Inflammation of
the brain. II Is sometimes complica-
ton of distempers and Is the only dis
order which resembles rabies. II gen.
orally occurs in the hottest weather.
The dog cannot propagate phrenitis
by sallvary incubation.
"Hyirophobia in human beings"
says writer. ''results from accidents
of nervous order, sometimes mortal,
sometimes durable, according rs they
derive from disorders analogous to
tetanus (ockjaw) produced bya wound
or from purely mental disorders" Ac-
cording to DR.. Cafe. Spontaneous
rabiform hydrophobia Is the only
rabies that exists. and that Is moral
rabies" Before NJ. Pasteur's system
was invented, about nineteen persons
annually were officially reported to
have died OF hydrophobia. Now,
strange Us II may seem, the number OF
persons who annually report them
selves bitten by rabid animals aver
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