Cattle 1853 - Lewis Family Farm

RABIES. 177
RABIES.
There is one more disease of the nervous system, the most fearful
of the list, viz., Eabies. When a rabid or mad dog is wandering
about, if his road lies by cattle he will attack the nearest to him, and
if he meets with much resistance he will bite as many as he can.
When there is suspicion that a beast has been bitten, the wound
should be carefully searched for, and being discovered, the hair must
be cut from the edges of it, and lunar caustic (nitrate of silver), the
stick being reduced to a point, introduced into it, and brought in
contact with, and made thoroughly to act upon, every part of it.
If there be doubt about the caustic coming into contact with every
part of the wound, it must be enlarged with the knife, so as to give
free access to it ; and the caustic being freely used upon the whole
of the wound, the beast is safe. But who, on an animal thickly
covered with hair, will say that there is no other wound ? The
slightest scratch, neglected, is as dangerous as a lacerated wound.
In this state of uncertainty, therefore, the farmer must look out
for the worst. If the disease appear, it will be about the end of the
fifth week, although there will be no absolute security in less than
double the number of months.
The beast will appear dull, languid, feverish, scarcely grazing, and
idly ruminating. These may be symptoms of many a different ill-
ness, and the previous circumstances alone could excite suspicion of
what is to follow. The eyes become anxious, protude, red—there
is considerable discharge of saliva, and to this succeeds a thirst that
can scarcely be quenched. There is no dread of water at any time.
It cannot be too strongly impressed on the mind, and may preserve
from danger, anxiety, and fear, him who has to do with domesticated
animals of any kind—that the constant and characteristic dread of
water is confined to the human being. The ox may exhibit a momentary
dislike to fluids, but generally will drink to the last, and the
desire of water is increased rather than diminished by the disease.
In the ox, the disease, from some cause unknown, takes on two
essentially different characters. The symptoms that we have men-
tioned are succeeded by frequent pitiful lowings, and a continual
and painful attempt to evacuate the faeces. Staggering and
weakness of the loins appear on the second or third day, and this is
soon succeeded by palsy of the hinder extremities. The animal sits
on its haunches, making ineffectual attempts to rise—looking wofully
around it, and eagerly plunging its muzzle into the water, when
placed within its reach, but it makes no attempt to do mischief. At
other times, the early symptoms are succeeded by a dreadful state
of excitation. The animal is eager to do every kind of mischief ; he
stands across the path, bellowing incessantly, and tearing up the
ground with his horns. In a few cases, the quiet and melancholy
8*