The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-09-24
M, Pasteur on HydrophOBia.

The Paris correspondent Of the Standard
telegraphs the following interesting letter: N.
Pasteur, who for the last four years has been
engaged upon experiments IN relation to canine
madness, communicated the results of bis la
bOrs TO the Academic des Sciencies. NJ Pas
teur began by Tecounting the facts established
by his experiments. They are in substance as
follows: off the virus of rabies be transmitted
from the dog to the monkey, and then from
monkey 10 monkey, it will be found that after
each transmission the yirulence Of the virus
has become enfeebed If the virus thus en-
feebed be retransmitted to a dog or animal of
that species, it will remain still aitenuated.
By few transmissions of the virus from mon
key TO monkey there can easily be obtained a
virus so attenuated as shall never commune
cate, by hypodermic NEGOTIATIONS. the disease
TO a dog. NEGOTIATIONS by trepauning of such
virus will likewise produce no result; but an
animal will not, notwithstanding, be rendered
thereby proof against the disease. The viru-
lence of the virus becomes on the contrary,
augmented in its passage from rabbit to rabbit
If dog be inoculated with virus thus aug
meuted in power, far more intense form of
the disease will be manifested than that ap-
parently in ordinary canine madness, and it
will invariably prove fatal" By applying
these and other observations, NJ Pasteur OBJ
tanned views of different degrees of virulence,
and succeeded, by NEGOTIATIONS of the milder
qualities, in preserving animals from the effects
of more active and mortal kinds. For example,
after several days longer than the shortest in
cubation term, NJ. Pasteur extracted virus from
the head of the rabbit which had died of the
disease, and inoculated successfully too other
rabbits. Each time a dog was inocuated with
the virus, which, as has been seen, would in
crease each time in yirulence, the result was
that the dog was ultimately rendered capable
OF bearing a virus Of mortal strength, and be-
came absolutely proof against canine virus.
N. Pasteur anticipates that the time is still
distant when canine madness will be extin-
guished by vaccination, but, pending that con-
summation, he feels pretty certain that he will
be able to avert the consequence of the bite
from mad dog. He saws: "Thanks to the
duration OF incubation after bite, i have overv
reason to believe that patients eau be rendered
insusceptible before the mortal maladv has
bad time to declare itself" NJ. Pasteur stated
in conclusion, that he had solicited the Minis
ter Of Education to appoint Commission 10
test his experiments. He added: "The prin-
cipal experiment that shall attempt will con-
sist in taking from my kennel 20 dogs unsuc-
ceptible 10 the disease, and placing the same
in comparison with 20 ordinary dogs, shall
then have all these dogs bitten by a number of
dogs in a rabid state. If the facts that have
enumerated are exact, the 20 dogs that be-
lieye TO be proof against the disease will re-
main healthy, while 20 will become affected.
For second experiment, no less decisive, /
propose to place before the Commission 30
vaccinated and 20 unvaccinnted dogs All the
40 shall then be inoculated in the most sensi-
sltive parts with virus taken from a rabid dog.
The 20 vaccinated dogs will resist and the