Miscellaneous.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1845, 3 May 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

Miscellaneous.

The True Symptoms of Hydrophobia. The Senate of the University of London ha-\ o issuod a circular calling attention to the very important notice concerning rabios, or canino madness, which has emanated f.'om the Brown Institution. So largo an amount of misconception prc\ails respecting this disease, which is popularly known as hydrophobia, that it 15 important that this information should bo circulated as widely as possible. Danger may be avoided, and much anxiety of mind prevented, by persons making themselves acquainted with the truth about the disease, and casting away the false impressions regaiding it that co universally prevail. *Th© general belief thai rabies in dogs occurs only m the heat of summer is utterly destitute of foundation ; in truth, u larger number of cases occur in the colder months. The symptoms of the disease in the dog are most admirably described 1:1 the following passage in the circular :—: — It is recognised b} a change of demeanour of the dog, which become 1 * dejected, morose, inclined to roam, and anxious to hide itself. The animal gnaws at wood, stones, and any refuse which it snaps at imaginary objects, and becomes unusually excited by stiangeor sudden noises. It rubs its throat with its paws, as if strhing to get rid of some object lodged there ; at the same time there is a more ov less abundant flow of saliva from the mouth. The animal is, moreover, very readily excited, and barks with, a peculiar,' harsh, strango cough. The singular behaviour of the diseased animal to other dogs is one which should be noted, as it is a very characteristic mark of the affection. The dog will attack its master, or animals of any kind ; but it is most easily roused to fury by the presence of other dogs. It is feared and shunned by healthy dogs, not only when it attacks them, but when the disease is in a very early stage. The name hydrophobia, signifying droad of water, has been given to the disease on account of the symptoms as manifested in man 5 but there is no hydrophobia in the dog. Ignorance of this fact has led to many fatal mistakes in management. The owners of pet dogs have refused to have them secured or destroyed, maintaining they were not mad because they had no dread of water. The Brown Institution notice is to the following effect : — There is throughout the disease no dread of water. Before the tendency to bite shows itself, the animal may be unusually affectionate to its master, licking lus face and fawning upon him. It has not infrequently occurred that the affectionate bearing of an infected dog has been fatal to the owner, from its licking a scratched hand or a place where the skin has been abraded. The dog is nob- always dangerous from a tendency to bite, for in ono form of the disease, called '• dumb madness," there is paralysis of the jaw, and, therefore, inability to bite. •The precautions to bo taken in cases of supposed madness are very succinctly laid down — If a dog has shown any of the symptoms of madness mentioned above, or an unusual tendency to bite other animals, it should be at once loose-muzzled and securely chained up ; but it is advisable that it should not bo destroyed until it has been examined by some authority capable of determining whether the animal be rabid or not. If a suspected dog has bitten any person, he should be securely chained, and not, as is the usual absui'd practice,- at qnce_ destroyed ; for, in the latter case, the injured person may for months be in a state of extreme mental anxiety, thinking that lie has been bitten by a mad dog, and is liable to hydrophobia j whereas, if the animal had been allowed to live, it would have been evident whether or not he was afflicted with rabies. Dr. Boy, professor at the Brown Institution, adds an important precautionary note to the paper, which is to the following effect : — Owners of dogs are warned of the danger they may incur by allowing their faces and hands (especially if scratched) to be licked by the animals, even if theso show no sign of madness. All dog bites should be immediately cleansed by suction and washing, and the wounds should be cauterised as soon as possible. When it is borne in mind that death by hydrophobia is one of the most agonising that can befall a human being, it wdl be seen that any precautions tending to avert danger from canine madness cannot be too carefully considered and acted upon; and this is more especially the case from the absolutely incurable character of the malady, no single instance of recovery from a well-ascertained case of hydrophobia being on record, and all supposed remedies being utterly useless in arresting its fatal career.