The Bearer of Crazed and Venomous Fangs: Popular Myths and Learned Delusions regarding the Bite of the Mad Dog

For centuries prior to the development of an effective vaccination against rabies, the bite of a “mad” dog was linked to a horrific ailment marked by convulsions, an utter dread of swallowing liquids, uncontrollable thrashing, and even the tendency to bark and attempt to bite others—a horrid prelude to an agonizing death.

Drawing on learned theories of medical practitioners and beliefs of the common people, The Bearer of Crazed and Venomous Fangs investigates the cultural mythology of the ...