The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-08

I, tervardv communicated 10 mankind IL pro-
dr,ces : diseasc which Il 80 mild as scarcely
| to affect the system, but which, nevertne.
less. generally uses up the whole OF tne
material in which the more malignant iorn,
| of the same poison could find the means %
MULTIPLICATION. The result OF many expert
ments has been TO show that the phehome-
ma daily witnessed as results OF common
vaccination do not stand aloncin the order
/ OF nature, but that other infectious poisons
can be rendered practically harmless py
modification OF the conditions IN WHICH
they have their origin.
The disease which Is called "rabies" 10
many OF the lower animals, and when Is
known as hydropLobia when 1t Is COM
municated to man, Is q "zymotlc" which
differs from others OF It's class chiefly by the
long period during which ITS virus may
remain latent. To this characteristic II
ewes most OF its terrors, for although dog
bites are common, hydrophobia, at least IN
| this country, Is exceedingly rare. But,
nevertheless, a person who has been blu
ten by dog scarcely knows when he may
venture to consider himself safe. The ca
nine malady differs much In severity in
different cases, and there il reason to be-
] lieve that many dogs recover from its
milder forms. Of persons who have been
bitten by unauestionably rabid dogs many
have escaped hydrophobia, but there are
authentic instances in which the disease
has remained dormant for more than I'VE
years. and there Is no authentic instance
Of the recovery OF human subject In
whom 1t has once appeared. The result
Is that every one who has been bitten by q
dog has hanging over him, for an uncer-
tain period at least, the possibility OF
horrible death; and Il cannot occasion sur
prise that such possibility has proved TO
he severe trial Tor even the greatest
fortitude. Now, NJ. Pasteur claims to
have discovered that the poison OF rabies,
IL introduced into rabbits, becomes enor-
mously increased in intensity and yiru-
lence; while. II introduced Into mon
keys, 1t becomes so diminished IN
vlrulence that It may be safely used,
like the vaccine virus IN relation 10
smallpox, to consume harmlessly the ma
terial within the body to which the more
virulent form would appeal for the mate
rails OF its increase. In the case OF small
pox the period Of latency, or, as 1t Is tech
nically called, Of ejaculation" is very
short, and the infective poison begins to
act as soon as it finds entrance into the
W. IL
be too late to yaccinate after exposure to
infection. even If it were always possible
TO know when infection had occurred and
hence yaccin ltion is practiced as proven
tive, and to destroy the liability to the more
severe disease. In the case OF hydro
pbobia, on the other hand. the period OF
incubation Is prolonged, and the time OF
exposure to infection is known. There is
reason to believe that, even subsequent to
an injecting bite. an incubation with the
poison of rabies cultivated to state OF
lmildness, either in monkeys or by such
other means as may be found most avail
able, will use up the material already re-
ferred to. and will leave the more yirulent
form with no basis for its further activity.
The precise details OF the method to be
pursued must, OF course, be determined
by further observation.
M. Pasteur discovery forms great
step in the application OF recently-acqulred
knowledge OF the means by which animal
poisons may be weakened ia intensity
without change in their essential charac-
ter, or, at least, without change in the
character OF the pabulum which Is neces-
sary for their maintenance; and it 1ustihes
the hope that many other maladies may in
time to come be rendered harmless by
means analogous to those which are al
ready applied so successfully N the case
OF smallpox. But this new treatIent OF
bydrophobia cannot be regarded rs an in
iailible cure until time and opportunity
have been afforded for the complete estab-
lishment OF what may now appear to
be the facts. The liability OF differ
ent persons to contract hydrophobia
is apparently very different, and the
periods OF incubation in some have
been so prolonged that no apparent
results OF incubation would JUSTIFY
conclusion until in sufficient num-
Der OF instances an analogous lapse OF
time had been suffered to occur. The dif-
ferences i'm the liability may be apparent
only, and may have depended on the virus
having been exhausted at the time OF the
bite, or upon its having been wiped off by
clothing, and NJ. Pasteur has perhaps been
able to inocuate the lower animals with
certainty OF producing the disease. But,
lust as there is In some persons liability
10 second attacks OF smallpox or Of scarlet
fever, liability which the bulk OF man.
kind does not share, so there may
be liabilities in man which the lower
animals do not share, and the obser-
yations made upon the latter may re-
auire some modification in their ap-
plicaton TO the former. However
this may be. it is impossible not to be sem
sible of the zeal and care with which NJ.
Pasteur has pursued his inquiries, or not
to be hopeful that results OF the greatest
magnitude may eventually spring from
them. 1t is worth while to remember,
moreover, that the human race must now
| be mainly indebted to countries other than
OUR own for the prosecution OF such re-
searches, and for the attainment of the
knowledge which they are calculated to
afford. Parliament has deliberately tied
the hands Of our own psychologists by re-
strictive legislation; and we have all the
more cause to be thankful that work which
is practically forbidden in England should
be carried on so successfully elsewhere.