Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-07-16

4 Dawson. station veterinarian, was ~
sued by the Florida Agricultural Elk
pertinent station in 1904, being known
as Press Bulletin No. AZ. We con
slider II OF especial interest az the
present time, and commend it to the
careful perusal Of the public:
AS hydrophobia or rabies, is most
often disseminated by the bites OF
rabid dogs. this bulletin will deal
mainly with the symptoms exhibited
by dogs suffering from this disease. II
occurs in two forms. namely, furious
madness and dumb madness. They
are both one and the same disease,
and frequently their respective symp-
toms shade on into each other, MAX
Ing It difficult to distinguish them.
I'm furious madness there are three
distinct stages: LIST, the stage Of
melancholia; End, the stage Of irrita-
ton, or mania; Ord, the stage Of pa
ralysis.
THE stage OF melancholia lasts
from one to three days. sometimes
longer The behavior OF the animal
is at first noticeably altered II may
become unusually attectionate and
vivacious, or II may be sullen, excit
able. irritable. frightened, and dis
trustful. II win hide Itself. frequently
change its resting place, and move
about suddenly. II gnaws and licks
the part that has been bitten. The
appetite remains good In the earlisr
part OF this stage, but later becomes
lost. II ticks cold objects and bites
and gnaws everything with which Il
comes in contact, frequently swallows
straw, grass, stones, wood, glass. rags
etc. Az the end OF this stage there
may be Slight spasms in swallowing
choking, vomiting. coughing, pant
ING, difficult breathing, fever, and
poking out the head
THE stage OF irritation or mania
covers a period OF three or,four days,
and Is the one in which the dog gener-
ally scatters the disease by biting
man and animals. II Is characterized
by attacks OF fury and commissions.
The dog leaves home, even breaking
the chain or destroying his kennel, II
necessary, to accomplish THIS object.
They wander aimlessIy about for long
distances and may enter beldly strange
premises They sometimes return
home AT FIRST, the inclination TO bite
Is slight II bites at imaginary OBJ
jects IN the air. and Is very irritable.
Later on, It bites not only everything
with which Il comes ia contact, but
becomes aggressive and attacks dogs,
cattle, sheep, goats, fowls, and even
It's own master. Sometimes, in It's
fury. ii will bite a redhot iron, or
even tear it's own flesh. Frequently
the teeth are broken. In rare cases
It avoids man and beast. In this
stage there Is symptom to which
great Importance II attached. via; the
altered voice. The bark IS hoarse,
rough and bowling. The FIRST notes
are prolonged into n high.pitched,
long.drawn-out howl.
'In the stage OF paralysis, the body
RAPIDLY wastes away. The eyes are
sunken, staring and CLASSY. Paraly.
sis occurs IN various locations. First
appears paralysis OF the muscles con.
cerned IN swallowing. Then the
lower law drops, paralyzed. and the
tongue hangs out. The hindlegs next
become affected. and the animal stag.
gers and becomes progressively weak,
The paroxysms OF excitement are
more lnfreQuent and generally by the
iifth or eight day from the onset OF
the disease the animal dies from ex.
haustion.
Dumb madness differs from furious
madness chiefly IN the briefness OF
the stage Of irritation or mania. Pa,
ralysis Of the Jaw and other parts Oc.
cur early. and death takes place In
two or three days.
The views which laymen hold con.
cerninE the symptoms Of hydrophobia
IN dogs are generally erroneous The
populAr opinion l. that mad DOGS run
In straight line, showing great fear
% water. their eyes are red. and
that they froth AZ the mouth. In
reality yhey frequently lap water. and
show no dread q H. inasmuch a. they
sometimes swim ACROSS rivers and
fakae