Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-12-31
COMMUNICATED.
HYDROPHOBIA.

This term is compound of two Greek words:
hua0r, water, and pho6oS fear; literally
meaning fear of water. In the madness OF the
dog the fear Of water is never present; but in
man it is always one of the earliest and most
persistent symptoms OF the second stage OF the
disease. Therefore, the word Hydropbobia, is
applied to the disease as it appears in man, and
Rabies, to it, as it manifests itself 10 the dor,
and brutes OF the canine and feline species. 1t
arises from the introduction into the animal
system of peculiar poison, which maintains,
under al! circumstances, the essential character.
isticS of specific virus, and which, after an
unsettle period oflncubatlon, eliminates in q
physical arrangement unlike that which is
produced by any other known morbi6c agent
The poison resides, principally, in the SLAYER
OF the 1abid animal, and the tooth, in the act
of biting, is the usual mode of conveying it,
l!rc origin and Inherent nature OF the virus,
arc totally concealed from the acumen of man;
and it is yet to be ascertaned what cause or
combination of causes, apart from the actual
application Of the poison to some portion of the
animal frame, will produce this terrible afec-
ton. Hence, the probability is, that the di-
sease is never self generated, bur always the
effect of inoeuiation. Human ingenuity has
adopted every device, and subjected the dog
TO every conceivable treatment, in order to
elicit, or spontaneously develop the disease,
but thus far it has not been artifcay general.
ed, aud it is yet improved that the malady ever
OCCURS, save by the natural way OF the direct
or indirect intrusion of the poisonous SLAYER
into the blood of healthy animal.
Neither the heat of summer, nor the coid Of
wntcr assist in the effort to cause it; and con-
tinement and starvation are alike powereSs to
make the dog raoid. Domesticalion is the di
rect cause of many OF the distempers 10 which
brutes arc liable, but it bias DO agency what
ever in making the dog mad Therefore ex-
bia and Rabies arc produced by inocula'ion
only, end that the disease is kept in existence
among dogs, by the rabied ones biting those
that arc we'll. Professor Youatt asserts, that
if all the dogs in England were kept separated
from each other for the period of seven months,
the disease would vanish from that Island.
This is valuable hint TO legislators mot RI
iicer,c dogs 10 run at large, but 70 require
,"ch Cwner Of one, to Scep 1t within the limits
Of his premises, and make 1t lawful Tor the
ollca TO kill every dog found runslDg at large.
Such proceeding would not only diminish
the number Of dogs, but abate to great ex-
tent, the prevalence Of rabies among such ami
mails, Kindness 10 the brute, as well as due
regard tor the welfare Of his constituents, ought
to dictate such a courSe to the legislator: Tor
surely the life OF one useful citizen is OF much
more Importance to community than the
utility Of dogs could be under any circum-
stances. To license the owner OF dog to keep
it running at large, and requiring him to muz
zle it for special PERIOD is worse than non
sense, aud totally inadequate to even appIoxi-
mate the cure of the evil at which it aims. Such
ordinances arc always Injurious in their results,
and nothing but the quarantine, recommended
by Professor Youatt, will ever cxtlrpate the
disease. or prevent its extension; for let it be
distinctly understood. that Rabies cannot be
unuuestiopably propagated except by irocula
lion, and that the disease is only extended by
a free communication of mad dogs with those
that are well. Most Respectfully,
December 1870. j. B. JOHNSON, MD.