Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-17
The Evening star has n regular, permanent
bona Gde daily circulation more than treble
that Of other daily paper published In
Washington, and equal to that Of all the
ether daily papers here added together.

II Is rather curious that Pasteur's discoveries
In the treatment of hydrophoba should come
just at time when there seems to be almost an
epidemic Of rabies among dogs. Possibly the
interest in his discoveries may have attracted
more general attention to cases of hydropho-
bta- But the statistics show that within few
months there has been an unusual number of
deaths from the bites of mad dogs Many be-
heve that the disease of rabies, like other dis
eases, may take on an epidemic form; and IL
SO, IL may be true that we are now passing
through such a dangerous season.
Be this as 1t may, the public is taking the
keenest interest just now in the general sub
Ject of hydrophobia- Dogs run everywhere in
the streets and are domesticated In very many
homes. where they enjoy the status almost Of
members OF the family. and IL IL is true that
these universal companions and friends Of
mankind are now exposed to q distemper
which threatens the lives of their masters, that
fact is Of an importance that can scarcely be
aggerated.
The interest felt In the subject both here and
In England, where a remarkable number of
cases OF hydrophobia have recently occurred,
has resulted In the throwing of much new light
on the causes and symptoms of the malady.
DIR. George Fleming, an English authority on
the subject, declares that the disease is now
epidemic and should be treated as such. He
urges the severest measures of precaution. He
says tnat rabies Is or SLOW INCUBATION, ana that
all dogs should be muzzled for two years. All
STRAY dogs should be killed and their bodies
Burned. DIR. Fleming locates the virus not in
the blood, but In the brain fluid and spinal
cord. He regards the notions that angry dogs
cause rabies, and that rabid dogs will not face
water, as popular fallacies.
Mr.. Alfred Sewell, another dog authority
compares the present epidemic with one that
burst out in Brussels in 1868. He observes that
10th he and Mr.. Fleming speak hopefully of
Pasteurs experiments, but do not regard them
yet as conclusive.
On this side of the water scarcely less interest
prevails on the subject than In England and
France. The Newark episode attracted wide
attention, and almost every day we find in the
newspapers fresh accounts of bites. Thus a
mad dog was killed in the streets Of Milwaukee
yesterday, after he had tried to bite several
persons, and child has just died in that city
who was bitten some weeks ago. A rabid dog
was killed in Jersey City yesterday, also. The
sentiment among physicians is that while the
danger may be exaggerated, there exists, for
some reason, a greater predisposition than
usual among dogs to become rabid, and hence
that all proper precautions should be used to
avoid accident.
At yesterday session of the National Veter-
nary association in this city, DIR. Plagemann
advocated the treatment of patients with water
of ammonia, which, he said, was the only safe
agent to employ. 1t is held that the ammonia
being alkaline in reaction, has the power of
destroying the virus.