The Washington herald., 1911-06-01
RABIES Is CAUSED
BY BITE OF A DOG
Never Arises Spontaneously
and Has Two Forms.
By EDWARD $. scHMID.


Canine madness. wrongly called hydro
phobia (Which Is human and not a
canine disease) is the most dreadful dis
order to which the dog is subject. Not
only Is rabies easily communicated from
one dog to another, but II is transmitted
with equal facility to human beings.
who when affeced by 1t suffer from hy-
drophobia. SEpileptic fits are often mis-
taken for this disease by inexperienced
persons, yet there are no two ailments
Of the canine race which give more op-
posite symptoms. Many a time have We
heard persons remark, There's mad
dog" when the poor beast was in reality
| suffering from an epileptic fit; and val
liable dogs have been destroyed times
out OF number by people who. ignorant
Of the true nature Of the case, mistake
one disorder for the other.
Few Can Detect OncominE Rabies.
Most people know when dog has the
distemper by tho discharge from the
eyes and nose; or when he has the
mango. or is affected by worms. but not
one owner in a hundred, even If he has
been accustomed to dogs all his life.
seems able to detect the fact OF his
animal becoming rabid. The opinion held
by some that the hot weather generally.
markable for outbreaks of this disease.
is merely a popular and mischievous
fallacy. which is contradicted by sta
tistics.
Rabies is always caused by the bite
of an affected dog, and never arises
spontaneously. And 1t cannot be artii-
cially produced, either by exposure to
intense heat or cold. by hunger. by thirst.
or even by feeding a dog on salt flesh
and prohibiting him water. All these ex-
periments have been tried abroad with
out producing rabies.
The period in which rabies lies dor
mant in the system varies from eight
to ninety days; and Blain, in his admir-
able work on canine diseases, says
,, that II generally appears between the
third and seventh week after receiving
the poison. Rabies assumes two forms,
viz:
Dumb madness. in which the lower jaw
hangs down from paralysis. and SO pre-
vents the dog from closing his mouth
This is by far the less dangerous Of the
two forms: first, because the dog can
not bite; secondly, because he is far less
excitabIe than when suffering from the
other form.
Furious Madness.
Furious madness is a. far graver form
Of the disease and Is first noticeable
The animal that was lively and cheer
full before, suddenly becomes dull and
seeks seclusion: his masters call pro-
duces little or no effect upon him.
This condition usually lasts for about
day, and then the eyes assume Pc
culiar expression. for they get glttering.
bright, and fiery; an unusual flow or
saliva issues from the mouth, and the
animal commences to gnaw at anything
that comes in his way. II he Is In the
house the hearth-rug is often attacked
and torn up. and possibly the table cloth
may suffer similarly.
II he Is In his kennel he will gnaw the
side Of II, or his chain, or even the floor.
A rabid dog will also swallow stones,
pieces of wood or coal. straw, or. IN fact,
anything which he can pass down his
throat; and he snaps at the air as II he
were catching flies.
Saliva Hangs About Lips.
The saliva often hangs about the lips
and corners Of his mouth in ropy form.
while the dog tries to remove It with
his paws. The voice becomes changed.
and is something between bark and
howl, and is so unnatural that person
once hearing 1t Will never forget the
sound
This symptom is very characteristic Of
the disease, and one by which the nature
Of the maIady should be easily recognized.
Rabid dogs. contrary to popular belief,
will hardly ever go out Of the way TO
bite a person, and 1t IL only when they
are opposed In their course that they are
likely to attack a man.
They, however. show strong propensi-
ty to attack other animals, and especially
those Of their own species; the sight OF
another dog ofen brings on paroxysm
Of rage.