remain for a brief period perfectly still and attentive, as if
watching something, or following the movements of some creature on the
wall; then it will suddenly dart forward and snap at the vacant air,
as if pursuing an annoying object, or endeavouring to seize a fly. At
another time it throws itself, yelling and furious, against the wall,
as if it heard threatening voices on the other side, or was bent on
attacking an enemy. Nevertheless, the animal is still docile and
submissive, for its master's voice will bring it out of its frenzy.
But the saliva is already virulent, and the excessive affection which
it evinces at intervals, by licking the hands or face of those it
loves, renders the danger very great should there be a wound or
abrasion. Until a late period in the disease the master's voice has a
powerful influence over the animal. When it has escaped from all
control and wanders erratically abroad, ferocious and restless, and
haunted by horrid phantoms, the familiar voice yet exerts its
influence, and it is rare indeed that it attacks its master.
There is no dread of water in the rabid dog; the animal is generally
thirsty, and if water be offered will lap it with avidity, and swallow
it at the commencement of the disease. And when, at a later period,
the constriction about the throat--symptomatic of the disease--renders
swallowing difficult, the dog will none the less endeavour to drink,
and the lappings are as frequent and prolonged when deglutition
becomes impossible. So little dread has the rabid dog of water that it
will ford streams and swim rivers; and when in the ferocious stage it
will even do this in order to attack other creatures on the opposite
side.
At the commencement of the disease the dog does not usually refuse to
eat, and some animals are voracious to an unusual degree. But in a
short time it becomes fastidious, only eating what it usually has a
special predilection for. Soon, however, this gives place to a most
characteristic symptom--either the taste becomes extremely depraved or
the dog has a fatal and imperious desire to bite and ingest
everything. The litter of its kennel, wool from cushions, carpets,
stockings, slippers, wood, grass, earth, stones, glass, horse-dung,
even its own faeces and urine, or whatever else may come in its way,
are devoured. On examination of the body of a dog which has died of
rabies it is so common to find in the stomach a quantity of dissimilar
and strange matters on which the teeth have been exercised that, if
there was nothing known of the animal's history, there would be strong
evidence of its having been affected with the disease. When a dog,
then, is observed to gnaw and eat suchlike matters, though it exhibits
no tendency to bite, it should be suspected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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