New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-06-05
Why ARE THE BITES or DOGS DANGER
OUSf
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The TTiJuH~
SIR: In THE TRIBUNE of May 81 an article appeared
on Iydrophobia, which attributes the ulseso " '"U
oIiva of mad dog inroducedinto the system through
,he mucous membrane Of the lips or any little abrasion
- the skin as well as through wound MADE Dy the am
mails teeth" -. ....o,, boro boon hitton nv a
ohid dog and escaped hydrOphOba while others pten
NV healthy dogs have fallen victims to TINS dleali JUS
hog or many other animals is liable TO produce the Same
maady This can only be acGontGa iPr N Hno Sny
Of the other anma that ono OF the chiet piOpeles vi
this secretion Is its power Of destroying NE anu vn"'
n"dness ia not necessary to make the saliva poisonous
I'm man aud all the higher manmallas, sallYa IS SC
cretcd by three pairs Of glands Of these the largest he
heck 9pnoite 10 the second olar tooth OF tho upper
law The other glands the submaxilary ana suDhsui h
fongue The sccrctons OF all these glands are necessary
for preparing the food for digestion In this order OF all
In tho class OF reptiles the three glands are never all
found the same indiy idual one may nave e par0tu
and another either Of the others. The poisonous Icptle
have only the parod gland and IL Is thc secreton I
this which the ratesnakc when he bites carries t9us
channel i'm his fangs into the wound The use inade Oh
il by all the poisonous reptiles seems sufficient 10 es
lish its functions and properties The boa consiIcto
onothcr reptile has no parotd glands he cannot destroy
hsprey by bite but Kills his victim by crushing IL IN
his folds and having broken its bones ana squeezea inc
body to pulp no ticks 1t all over; the flesh under the m
1ucnce OF his saliva, becomes sOtencd ana dsegraeI
almost it rotten and Is thus prepared Tor swat
II Would appear from the cited of the two SCRIP
ens and from the effects known be produced by the
bites of other animals possessing different ones OF te
saliynry glands, that their secretOns possess
properties that while the parotid saliva Is alone cpDe
Of DESTROYING animal vegetable lfc that OF thc otne
glands has the power OF accompanying or dsnteBalhg
tissues already dead; and ALL In common serve 10 hoIc
dilute hard food In order to prepare 1t Tor behB s"
lowed . ,,., L. o,a thar
tits thus expcabo why the bites OF dogs ana otner
onluals are followed by different consequences INC
saliva az incubation may from the subnaXllafy
or sulngal glands, when IL VIII DC hafIhetbi Nnccs'
n IL come from the parotid gland it may be poisonous
This view is sustained by tho position OF the mouths OF
saliyary ducts; the inclsOr, or iIOn tcet use
i'm hitting are generally mostcncd by the saliva from he
sul.mg Hillary or sub-ngual glands, that OF inc
parod being only poured out when me neIaI
brought into operation The secretion OF the parotd
gland only poisonous when taken INTO INC cIcuauo
through a wound; 10 cannot pass through inc mucous
membrane wien this r. unbroken. The poison OF ue
rutesunke NAV be drunk with the same tmputy 10 man
ma Ia the serpeut who swallows IL with his food III ~
not poisonous 20 him. because II does not enter ms ctc
lat6n until IL has been digcstcd should ne Dlte hlseu
or be bitten by another Of his species he would DC HAOc
10 the same fatal consequences any other animal
An acquaintance with these facts VIII 80 far toward
rcconciing the seeming discrepancies IN cases OF poison
inc from Inc bites OF animals; and may lead 10 moro
successful treatment of the diseases arising from sucn
causcs II hydrophoba does not occur In equGtOrl Al
ca 30 much the better for the natives; perhaps IL WOuu
there be taken for obenh or wchcraft ana the hIct
pecty suffer the test ~ the strycnino water III IL ever
vero nj known In jamaica that Ignorance has long since
dsappearcd as well In the other west lndes BgbS
unknown cannot DO taken proof that anything docs
lot exist stutistcs In such natter To be OF any 'au
must recorded for long tmo ana collectcN .tDin
many localities. Biting dogs are dangerous NJ hHy ',
f wear: therefore all dogs allowed 20 run in inc suto..
should be muzzlcd; IN not, drowning y NciS - 'ty H.,
safeguard against tho risks the community ln6ht SUMO
| wcro they permitted 90 roam at large. - -.
W G. HORSE, No. I0I West Twenty -SlAth-st
Neic York. June 3. 1901.