New-York tribune., 1874-06-11
DOGS.

To-day the corporation ordinance for the en-
cOuragement of dog stealing is to go ih'o
effect, and We shall doubtless have renewai
of those disgusting and demOralizing scenes
which used to be so common in New-Y0rk In
former times, when the Mayor annually recog-
nized by proclamation the ancient superstition
about the Dog Days. That there was some
occult connection between the ascendency OF
the star Sirius in the heavens and the raVages
of hydrophoba on earth was believed without
question by the old school of City Fathers
and it is plain that many of them, like Alder
man Morris and Mayor Havemeyer, have not
yet outgrown the absurd errors OF their YOUTH
Hence the promise of reward for every doS
brought without muzzle to the Corporation
slaughter-hOuse. We saw on Monday wheh
it was supposed that the new law was already
in operation, how the plan is going to work.
Street urchins seized every unfortunate amman
tbey could entice away from it's owner and
dragged 1t to the pound. Operators on
larger scale spent several days and nights In
tisae collection of victims, and delivered them
to the exccutioner by the cart-lOad. They De-
Gan their search several days In ADVANCE anu
they did not cOnfine it to the dlssOlute anu
friendless ours which roam the streets, but they
snatched the lap-dOg from the very hands oi
its mistress and laid their murderous clutches
upon the pct of the family. OF course dog
with muzzle is more likely to be stolen than
dog without one the animal is easily separ-
ated from the wire cage, and then both VIII
fetch q price. In reality, therefore, there Is
no way of saving your dogs life except to
keen him fastened up at home, or to lead llim
by a collar.
But the law, besides being cruel and demOr-
alizing, Is utterly at variance with sclentlnc
principles. 1t is a well ascertained fact that
bydrOphoba has no connection with not
weather. 1t is almost unknown in tropical
countries, and careful registers of cases, made
both in this country and in Europe, demon
strate that July and August are the very
months in which it is least frequent. 1t Is
commonest in the Spring. Many persons are
inclined to believe that it is influenced by
dampness. but of this there is no proof, and
probably the effect of temperature upon the
disease is very slight. At all events its ravages
have been enormously exaggerated. well
authenticated case of hydrophObia in man is ex-
tremely rare. We can recall no recent instance
| except that of Mrs. NOyes, who was bitten
by lap-dog held in her own arms. Probably
it would be found that when hydrophOba Is
produced it is usually from the bite OF a
pet animal at home. and not of wander
ing Outcast in the street. Not only Is
the disease very rare in human beings,
| but genuine rabies is very rare in dogs.
We read every now and then, to be
sure, in the police reports, that "mad dog"
has been shot by Officer SO-and-So, after
biting a number of people. But the symptoms
of canine madness are not we'll understood
| by the multitude, and we do not believe that
one in twenty of the dogs sacrificed as mad
by an excited mob. or Jealous policeman,
has been suffering from anything worse than
| epilepsy, or fits"
The Board of Health has made a sensible
protest against the new law, as being vex-
atious, cruel, demoralizing, and useless; but we
suppose it must stand for while, since those
who passed it will be slow to confess their
own ignorance by repeating it. We may next
ask the Common Council, for the sake of
consistency and the avoidance of invidiOus
distinctions, to muzzle all the cats of New
York. for it is we'll known that cats 60 mad
as we'll as dogs. With a commodiOus cat
pound, the charms of West Thirty ty-seventh-st
would bo complete.