CHAPTER X
RABIES

Rabies, which I shall now discuss in its turn, is just as sur—
prising a disease. Galen writes that no animal except the dog
is subject to it, per se, and that is certainly an observed fact.
Aristotle, however, asserts that every kind of animal, after
having been bitten by a mad dog, suffers from rabies, "except
man'. The following phenomena are observed in this kind
of contagion.

In the first place, all agree that it cannot be contracted by
every sort of contaet, or by fomes, or at a distance, but only
when the outer skin is so torn by the bite of a dog that blood
is drawn; as though the contagion takes place in the blood it—
self through contaet with the teeth and foam from the mouth
of the rabid animal. Its incubation is so stealthy, slow, and
gradual, that the infection is very rarely manifest before the
twentieth day, in most cases after the thirtieth day, and in
many cases not till four or six months have elapsed.  There
are cases recorded in which it became manifest a year after the
bite, and even five years after. I have myself seen a boy who,
eight months after he had been bitten, showed signs of the con—
tagion, from which he presently died. Meanwhile no fever is
perceptible, nor distress of any sort, and the infected person
does not realise that a highly pernicious infection is latent
within him; but presently, about the time when it reaches the
heart, he is conscious of it. Once it has penetrated there, it
a&fflicts the sufferer with incredible torments.  There are violent
twitchings in the heart and the praecordia; the patient can
neither stand nor lie down; like a madman he flings himself
hither and thither, tears his flesh with his hands, and feels in—
tolerable thirst. 'This is the most distressing symptom, for
he so shrinks from water and all liquids that he would rather
die than drink or be brought near to water; it is then that they
bite other persons, foam at the mouth, their eyes look twisted,

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