Evening star., 1901-07-18
DIAGNOSIS OF RABIES
TWO FORMS OF THE DISEASE, THE
FURIOUS AND THE DUMB.
Opinion of DR.. salmon of the Bureau
of Animal NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of the MaIady.
From the Medical Record.

From the Medical Record.
DR. D. f. Salmon of the bureau of animal
Industry writes this subject in the
Agricultural Department Year Book. =
just issued. and after referring to its con-
tinuous increase in the United States,
speaks Of the difficulty in recognizing the
nature of the malady. On this point he
says that there are two forms of rabies
the furious and the dumb. In the former.
the animal is irritable and aggressive and
bites nearly every object that comes in its
way: in the latter, the muscles of the Jaw
are paralyzed almost from the first appear
ance of symptoms. and being unable to
bite the animal remains more quiet and
tranquil In both forms the disease is the
same and the saliva is equally deadly
The dogs with dumb rabies are less dan
gerous. solely because. their jaw muse es
being paralyzed. they are unable to Dlte.
The difference in the two forms of the
disease is due to the greater rapidity of
the development of symptoms in dumb
rabies Every case of furious rabies event
ually turns dumb rabies, for paralysis of
the jaw is one of the final symptoms.
The Drop-Jaw Form.
What Is called the ''drop-jaw form" is
when the symptom occurs en- the first day
of the disease instead of after an interval
of two. three or more days, as in the case
of furious rabies. The symptoms of furious
rabies appear very gradually. The animal
appears restless and is very apt to become
more affeCtionate than usual, fawning and
licking the hands or face Of its master as
though seeking sympathy and aid This is
particularly dangerous demonstration.
for if there is the slightest abrasion of the
skin there l. almost a certainty of lnocuIa-
ton There are many Instances in which
hydrOphObia has been impaired to human
beings in this way. Another very dangerous
symptom is when the dog apparently has
bone in its throat and IS unable to swal-
low. This simply means that paralysis has
set in. The saliva at this period is very
vrulent. and many persons have caught
the disease by putting their hands in
dogs mouth to relieve it of the supposed
bone. The fierce biting and swapping at
everything which eventually develops into
furious rabies is merely the result of de-
nrium-
Do Not Dread Water.
DIR, Salmon declares that the popular be-
lief that mad dog breads water Is fall
lacy; and he also disputes the truth of the
universally credited opinion that the dis
ease occurs only in the hot season. He
brings forward statistics to show that
there is little or no difference in the preva-
IenCe of the disease between summer and
winter. He explains the weil-known fact
that the development of hydrOphcbia after
inOCUldtlon varies in time from seven days
to twelve months and longer by the theory
that the virus must reach the brain and
spinal cord. and the bacilli multiply there
before the whole system is infected; and
that the virus OF rabies does not spread
through the system quickly as many
other forms of infection. Another reason
i"r this delay is probably to be found in
the greater susceptibility of different indi-
viduaIs. and In the condition of their blood.
A. means Of protection DR.. Salmon ad-
viSeS the destruction OF wandering, worth
less dogs. and the enforcement of a law
providing for the mUZZling or leading by a
chain Of the respectable members Of the
d. ,oiugEJuity- If these precautions could
be c'f$idcrateiy enforced the writer be-
Eeve- that hydruphohia would be an ex-
t,acJ disease in a comparatively short time.
His contention i certainly supported by
the results obtained in cities both here
and in other countries in which nluzzling
has been insisted upon