aught; and would have worried more
had his strength lasted, for the furor of madness then had possession of
him.

[Illustration: A MAD DOG ON THE MARCH.]

He may be slain while on these excursions; but if he escapes he returns
home and seeks the darkness and quiet of his former abode. His thirst
increases; but with it comes the swelling of the throat. He will plunge
his head into water, so ravenous is his desire; but not a drop of the
liquid can he swallow, though its surface is covered with bubbles in
consequence of the efforts he makes to gulp the smallest quantity. The
throat is enlarged to that extent which will permit nothing to pass. He is
the victim of the most horrible inflammation of the stomach, and the most
intense inflammation of the bowels. His state of suffering is most
pitiable. He has lost all self-reliance; even feeling is gone. He flies at
and pulls to pieces anything that is within his reach. One animal in this
condition, being confined near a fire, flew at the burning mass, pulled
out the live coals, and in his fury scrunched them. He emits the most
hideous cries. The noise he makes is incessant and peculiar. It begins as
a bark, which sound, being too torturing to be continued, is quickly
changed to a howl, which is suddenly cut short in the middle; and so the
poor wretch at last falls, fairly worn out by a terrible disease.

But now comes the question, How do we know that rabies is a nervous
disease? Why, the whole course of the disorder declares it, or if that be
not thought sufficient, the dog at one stage very distinctly announces it.
He may be sitting down, an unwilling listener to his master's voice, when
the brute's eyes will wander; and at length fix themselves upon some
object at a distance, which it will keep watching, crouching down as the
horror seems, to the excited brain of the poor beast, to draw near; till,
having apparently come within bounds, the hateful presence is no longer to
be endured, and the vision-haunted animal dashes forward with a howl of
execration, as if to seize and tear the terrible spectre. This action
being performed, and the dog biting the air, he stands for a moment,
shivers, looks stupidly around him, and slinks back. What is this but a
power of seeing visions depending on a disordered brain, or positive
delirium exemplified by a dumb creature? And the same piece of pantomime
the dog may go through fifty times in an hour. No disappointment can teach
him; and e