There are many surprizing things in nature, in so much, that ocular demonstration can only convince us of their existence. Amongst those wonderful phenomenons, the direful effect of the bite of a mad dog is equally astonishing as it is melancholy.
That dogs and wolves are more liable to madness of this kind, called the Rabies, is because of their deficiency of external perspiration; and are obliged to supply that defect with their open mouth and their lolling-out the tongue; whence their blood is subject to become overheated, and thence generate a malignant inflammation, which infects the saliva with this direful poison. But the astonishment is, why it should have so very powerful a contagion as to infect the mass of blood of every animal that receives the least atom of it? Yet so it is, confirmed by sad experience.
From frequent observation we are able however to communicate such signs, which attend the symptoms of madness in a dog, whereby we may the better avoid the danger of being plunged into the most deplorable misery by this wretched animal.
The Signs of a mad Dog.
The dog with symptoms of madness evidently discovers a malignant fever; he runs confusedly forwards; the tongue hangs out of the mouth with much slabber; his head hangs downwards; his eyes look dull and heavy; his tail is drawn up between his legs; and in every respect he has all the sign of confused wildness and pain; he runs confusedly forward, and snaps about him without distinction of persons or fear. He is always restless; will neither eat nor drink; and is terrified at the sight of water; the tongue hanging out of his mouth, grows black; and at last expires a spectacle of horror, unless the poor beast is put out of his misery, and thereby many dreadful consequences prevented.
The Effect of the Bite of a mad Dog.
So subtile is this fatal poison, that the symptoms do not appear immediately; but the part bitten will sometimes even heal up, the same as any other wound; and two, four, or six months after the injury, the symptoms of the malady will appear and gradually reduce the patient to the most deplorable state in nature.
The first symptoms of the disease are, a pain in the part where he was bit, which gradually spreads all around; the whole body in general is attended with a dull heavy pain, a lassitude and weariness. The mind grows depressed and anxious, together with a loss of appetite and a nausea at the stomach; and, in particular, a difficulty of swallowing, sore throat, and accumulation of spittle.
Soon these symptoms encrease. The peculiar soreness of the throat, which renders the swallowing liquids very painful, begins to create the utmost horror and dread of every thing that is liquid; and this first gives rise to the Hydrophobia, or dread of water, which compleats the patient’s misery in this terrible disorder.
The eyes become full and staring, the face bloated, florid intermixed with lividness; the mind is impaired; rage, lust and mischief, agitates the confused will; at length, convulsions, foaming of the mouth, priapisms, and seminal emissions, barking, howling, and endeavouring to bite every thing near, ends the wretched life of the most deplorable object in nature.