OF poysons incident to the outward parts of man or beast , there is none that in the end induceth or procureth more cruell accidents , and fearefull affections , then the byting of a mad dogge , though in some more or lesse then in other , partly by reason of the complexion and constitution of the body that is bitten , and partly by the manner of the byting .

As for example , if a cholericke body of large vaines repleate with hot humors , be bitten through the skinne by a mad dogge , that with his byting casteth forth store of that virulent some or matter conteined in his mouth , being sharpe and hot , he will become mad commonly in the space of one month after he is bitten , and some time sooner , as within a weeke , especially if it be in the heate of sommer , and copled with other bad causes , as an apt disposition of the body , thereto &c. If timely preuention be not vsed . And the worser constitution of body a man is of , the more dangerous is the byting : but if the bitten body bee of a cold complexion , such as are the phlegmatike or melancholike , or the biting but slight , or the venemous matter proceeding from the dogge , but small in quantity , or not very maligne & pearcing , then is it longer before the bitten body be tainted with madnes . And by this reason it hath come to passe , that some after the biting haue felt no hurt ( more then a little ache and smarting of the wound ) till a quarter of a yeere after . Some not in a yeere or two , 〈…〉 or three , or 7. yea ( as Galen reporteth , some not till 16. yeeres after , or as Guanerius , not till 18. yeeres after , which he verifieth by a story of one that so many yeeres after he was bitten , fell mad and died so within three daies after . For such is the condition of this poison , that when it hath lyen lurking in the body long before it be perceiued , it breaketh out , when it beginneth to stir , with much more violence , and maketh a quicker dispatch , then otherwise . Which if we duly consider , it is no wisedome for any man , be he neuer so lightly hurt , or feele as little present paine as may be thereby , to be secure and careles in seeking present remedy vpon such a chaunce . For by often experience it hath been seene , that not only the biting is of force to cause madnes , but euen the fome or slauer of a mad dogs mouth , if it touch any bare part of the body , and be not speedily wipt or washt away with salt water , or the ●ine of a boy , or such like , especially if any skin be broken where the slauer abideth , or the body bitten be tender , thin skinned , weake or repleat with bad humours ; such being the subtill and pearcing nature thereof , that it speedily passeth through the poores of the skin , and then by little and little maketh it selfe way into the small vaines , arteries and sinowes , & so in processe of time assaileth the heart , and disturbeth the braine .

Now then if so great hurt may proceed from dogges , why doe we make them so familiar companions with vs , and vse them with so great delight , seing we may endanger our selues thereby sooner and sorer then we imagine ? Surely the reason is , because the dogge is so necessarie a beast as men cannot well tell how to want . For the Mastife dogge is a most trustie seruant in a country house , a Butchers one hand , and by his admirable hardines maketh many great men in loue with him , for the delight and pastime he giueth them in combating with the terrible Bull and merciles Beare . Yea some of them be so full of audacitie , that they will aduenture on the Lyon the King of beastes . But therein I commend them not , because it sauoureth of a rebellions nature , then which nothing can be more odious in a common wealth .

Beside the Mastife , we haue other dogs of pleasure , as the land and water Spannels , the one necessarie for such as delight in hawking after the partridge and fesant , the other for water sowles : the gentlemanly Greyhound for coursing Bucke , Stag , Otter or Hare : the Talbot or Buckhound , more regarded of noble personages : the hounds of ordinary Gentlemen and Yeomen , for Hare , Fox , & Badger . Besides these , we haue dogs , as of lesser spirit and courage , so lesse seemely and necessarie , and yet wel liked of many , as the Shepheards curre , which hee would not change for the best hound the King hath , & sondry other countrie curs , which some keep only to be as watchmen in the night , to lugge a Hog and eate vp their superfluous crusts and parings . And lastly , wee must not forget the fine Lady dog that fares of the best , lodgeth warme and soft , and is trickt vp with siluer bels , carefully kept from flees , washt and combed with great curiositie , and hath more of this worldly pleasure then many a substantiall and honest house-keeper .

Heare we see such vse and acceptation of all these sorts of dogs , as we cannot well spare any of them , who beside , make themselues the better to be liked , because they carry so true and hearty loue toward such as they serue , as no brute creatures may be compared with them . As I remember a story of which Saint Augustine is reported to be the Author , wherein is showne an admirable loue of a dog to his Master . The storie is thus : A certaine Priest that had a louing dogge , on a time trauailing by the way , was met by a theefe that bereft him both of his mony and life , casting his dead body into anod corner out of the way , and so departed . The dog would not leaue his Masters body though dead , but lay by it howling and crying day and night , till by this doing the dead body was sound , which being laid openly to be viewed , the dog still gaue his attendance thereon . At length , among other beholders thereof , came the theefe that robbed and murthered him , making showe of as great sorrow as any other : but the dog hauing spied him , ran at him , and would neuer leaue assayling and barking at him , till the rest of the beholders by noting the dogs demeanour and his former attendance on the dead body , became suspitious of him that he so fiercely assailed : whereupon causing him to bee throughly examined , he confessed the fact , and was dealt withall according to his desert .

Scaliger also , Exercit. 202. maketh mention of a certaine huntsman that by extremitie of cold , was found dead on the top of a snowie mountaine , by whose dead bodie lay a great dog , keeping it in such sort , as he would suffer no man , neither the dead mans frends nor any other , not so much as such as the dog before did know and was acquainted withall , to touch or come neere it .

But hauing no need to seeke so farre for ancient and forreine stories , Thomas Lupton in his notes of memorable things , maketh report of no lesse loue in a dog than this , that serued an Inkeeper of Ware , a through-faire village in the way to and from London . This dog loued his Master so exceedingly , that after he was dead , he sought him vp and down certaine daies , with so great sorrow and mourning , as nothing could comfort him , neither would he eat or drinke at all . At length , not finding him whom he so carefully sought for , he laid himselfe downe in the hot coales in the chimney , from whence being pluckt diuers times , he notwithstanding would doe so still , till he had burnt himselfe to death . Though many wiues loue their husbands dearely , yet I thinke very few of them would aduenture to make demonstration of their loue by such a conclusion .

As by these examples , the exceeding loue of dogs toward such as they serue , is noted for one speciall cause of the regard that is made of them , so are they besides this , much esteemed for their ingenuous and wittie capacitie in learning many pretty and strange things .

But as for these and such like causes we loue and like them , so if we would consider well the great hurts they often do , and may procure both to man and beast by their madnesse , which no creature is thought so subiect vnto as they , we should rather prouidently haue an eye to them and beware of them , then so familiarly entertaine them as we doe : especially , if we did bethinke our selues that this familiaritie betwixt vs and them , maketh vs the lesse circumspect in preuenting the hurt which in a moment we may catch by them . For some Writers affirme , that there is no meanes to helpe or cure either man or beast , that by the byting of a mad dog are become mad . Lib. 5. cap. 3. And Paulus Aegineta saith , he neuer knew aboue one or two cured of this kinde of madnesse , and those not immediately bitten of a dog , but bitten of such persons as were fallen mad by the byting of a mad dog . Now if any desire to know into what kind of passions such doe fall as are bitten of these creatures , and not holpen before they be growen mad , let them marke these stories following .

One Baldus of Trident , Doctor of both lawes , and a very famous man in his profession , had a litle fine Lady dog , that he did take much delight in , and would often play with him . This dogge on a time ( as Mathiolus reporteth ) snapt his Master by the lip , yet so lightly as he made none account of the hurt , neither had the least suspition that might bee of the dogs madnesse . But hereupon , about some foure moneths after , this famous Lawyer became so lawlesse , so vnruly , so outragious , and so far beside humane sense and behauiour , that notwithstanding all the meanes which were vsed for helpe , he died in that madnesse very miserably .

This may bee an admonition to all such fine Ladies and Gentlewomen as take pleasure in playing with their beloued chamber-dogs , to haue a regardfull eye to their chaps .

Andraeas Baccius Elpidianus a learned Physition , writeth thus of a Patient of his that was bitten by a mad dog , although with so smal hurt and offence , as he regarded it not , hauing the wound healed vp within the space of three daies . But about a month being past , finding himselfe more sad and sorrowful than he was wont to be , together with a loathing of himselfe , and wondring how it should so come to passe , he sent for me ( saith Baccius ) inquiring the reason and cause thereof , and I finding him weake spirited and lompish , aduised him to be carefull of his diet , to feed vpon comfortable meates and easie of digestion , and to drinke wine for the better strengthning of his spirits , more plentifully than he had vsed to doe . To which he answered , that hee could neither cat nor drinke , whereupon I offering him drinke , and noting his impotencie in receiuing it , opened his mouth , but found no cause there , of his weaknesse or refusall . Then after long bethinking my selfe what might be the cause thereof , I asked him whether at any time he had been bitten by any dog . To which he answered , yes , but yet without any great hurt , as he thought . Wherupon , after some words of comfort , I acquainted his wife and other of his friends priuately , what danger hee was in , wishing them to boat him ouer the riuer Tiber , by which he dwelt , and sodenly to throw him in , and sowse him well in the water , which they did , himselfe being very willing thereto . But this practise profiting nothing , I made tryall of other meanes vsed in such cases , but all in vaine . For the same day toward night , hee began to rage , and though tormented with intollerable thirst , and a troublesome feuer , yet could he not be forced to drinke any kinde of drinke or water , ( which is a common accident in this disease . ) Then was hee strongly bound to a post , yet so great was his furie and madnesse , that he had almost broken the cords , with a desire to runne vpon the by-standers , crying away , away ; and sometime howling like a dog , gaping wide , tormented with thirst , and as it were holding his mouth open for drinke , but when it was cast into his mouth with a spout , hee would tremble and quake for feare , continuing in this manner most cruelly vexed with insufferable thirst and hellish heat and burning , vntill the second day from the beginning of his madnesse , was neere ended , and then hee yeelded vp the ghost in wonderfull torture , and no lesse terrour and astonishment to the beholders , being the 36 day after his biting .

Iulianus Palmarius also writeth , that hee knew a man of the country bitten with a mad dogge , who in like maner became mad , & so furious , that he was bound with cordes for restraint of his fury , and the hurt he was like to doe vnto others . Yet sometime this man found intermission of his fits , in such sort as he then would speake and talke sensiblie , and would yeld to reason . And on a time , in such a kinde of intermission and sensiblenesse , making account hee should die very shortlie , he desired such as were about him , that he might take his leaue of his children : which being permitted , he embraced and kissed them very louingly , and very shortly after , hee yeelded vp the ghost . But about 7 dayes after , these his children became as mad as their father , and being vexed with the like tortures , died within few daies very pitifully tormented .

Hieronymus Cardanus in like maner sheweth that one Alexander Brasca , a nobleman of Venice , Lib. 2. Conten . Medico . Tract. 5. hauing a dogge fallen mad that he exceedingly loued , which for his madnesse was taken to be hanged , this man in a foolish kindnesse , would needs kisse his beloued dogge before his execution . But such was the sequel of this kissing , as himselfe became mad also in very short space after , and died very miserablie .

Matthaeus de Gradibus saith , Cons. 82. that one Iohn Coqueran , by the only putting of his hand into a mad dogs mouth , became mad himselfe thereby . And P. Andraeas Matthiolus testifieth , that he saw two men vexed with this kinde of madnesse , by the only sprinkling of a mad dogges slauer vpon them , without being bitten at all .

Baptista Codronchus a late writer , Iab. 1. de Hydrophob . cap. 5. saith he knew a certaine rich man of Saint Peters castle in the dition of Bononia , who seeing a little dogge of his that hee dearely loued , enraged so with madnesse , as he ran vp and downe gaping and foaming at the mouth , he supposing that some bone had stucke in his mouth or throat , would needs trie with his hand , the plucking out therof , but was for his kindnesse so bitten by this his darling , that thereupon he became cruelly tortured with the feare of water and conuulsions , and the seuenth day after in great miserie and torment , tooke his leaue of this world . He was twice or thrice cast into the water and enforced to drinke it , but without any reliefe at all . Heereby we may see , not onely the cruelty of this kinde of poyson , but also learne to take heed of it in time . But though the foame or slauer of a mad dogge be by all mens consent , of a most virulent nature , yet Petrus Salius Diuersus a very learned and intelligent Physitian , cannot be perswaded , that by only touching of the skinne of ones bodie , it can be of force to procure madnesse , except the skin bee broken in that part which the foame toucheth . Yet surely I for my part doe verily beleeue , that if it be suffred to lie long vpon the sound skin , it will worke such an effect in the end , in some sooner , in some later , according to the constitution and disposition of the partie bitten , and the poysonous degree of such filthy slauer .

Philostratus an ancient writer , Hist. 6. lib. 18. in vita Apollonij Tyanei . hath a storie of a young man , that being bitten with a mad dog , was within a little while after so altred from all humane manners and conditions , that he became altogether dog-like in his behauiour . For he would barke , and sit on the ground like a dogge , and when he offred to go , it was still vpon all foure , vsing his hands as his feet , as apes doe , continuing in this wretched estate the space of thirty dayes together , Iulian Palmarius before named , affirmeth that hee had seene horses , oxen , sheepe , and other cattel become mad vpon the eating of such straw or hay , as mad swine had tumbled in .

Yet this is a mischiefe that few people hitherto haue greatly made account of ; which slight regard of a thing so full of perill , hath beene one speciall cause , that hath moued mee to publish the danger thereof , in such maner as by the beholding of other mens harmes , the readers heereof may heerafter become more circumspect and warie , and when occasion serueth seeke remedy with speed .

This kind of madnesse is called in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , in latine Rabies , or Furor , of the Greeke verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . 1. Rabie percellor , insanio . The greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth also signifie furorem , furie , but that is such a maner of fury as belongeth to reasonable creatures , rather than bruit beasts . And Rabies taken rather for doggish-madnes , then furor , hath this propertie attributed to it , that although the sicke therof be extreamly tormented with thirst and heat , yet doe they so wonderfully abhorre and feare the sight , yea ( as some haue obserued ) the very noise or speech of water and other drinke , as they will in no wise taste thereof , but tremble and quake when they looke on it , and therefore by all meanes auoid it . Some in stead of rabies , call it hydrophobia that is to say water-feare . But this seemeth rather a consequent to rabies , and to come vpon the stage in the very last act of this tragedie .

My purpose was not in a matter of such a subiect , as may be shut vp in so smal a roome as this , to stand curiously vpon any bookish method for the handling heere of ; but rather as compendiouslie without multiplicitie of words , as I could , to set abroach the knowledge thereof in our vulgar language , in manner of a caueat or watch-word , to al such as haue vse and dealing with dogges : though notwithstanding I thinke it not amisse , heere to shew some definition or description of this infirmitie , for the plaine explanation of it : although very few haue vouchsaued so much in the treatie hereof : & therfore for auoiding of tediousnes I will produce only one , which in my conceit doth more significantly expresse the nature of this infirmitie , then any other that I haue read , which is thus out of Baptista Codronchus .

Rabies , Lib. 1. de hydroph . Cap. 1. That is to say , Doggish madnesse , is an affect beside nature , ingendred or bred in a liuing creature , of some certaine peculiar poyson , and communicated or imparted to man with a vehement detestation of all liquid things , but especially of water .

Heereby we may see the originall of this proceedeth from such kind of poyson , as by the peculiar propertie thereof , induceth a greater loathing of liquid things , then any other manner of poyson is knowen to doe .