Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-30

But NEVER HAVE RABIES-THE NUMBER OF
DOGS IN THE CITY WHY Mr.. EINsTEIN
THINKS WASHINGTON IS COMPARATIVELY
SAFE FROM HYDRoPHOBrA.
81 never knew Of q case of hydrophobia here"
said Mr.. g. Einstein, the poundmasterin answer
to question asked by a STAR reporter "There
have been cases reported at the time they oc-
Cured as hydrophobia, but they did not ter
inmate fatally. In Alexandria, in 1855 or
1866, German who lived up on the HILL near
Fort Ellsworth, died from hydrophobia. He
had several Spitz dogs and was bitten by one
OF them. That's the only case in this vicinity
that have ever known Of A few years ago
there was something said of a case Of hydropho-
bia on Georgetown heights, near Tenallytown.
The boy, however, did not die. Genuine hy-
drophobia, as / understand it, has always
proved fatal-at least until lately-when q lady
is said to have been cured by Turkish bath,
and Pasteur is said to have succeeded in effect
ing cures. never saw q mad dog except one
in Germany, in 1862. That dog attracted no
tice by running around and shying at every.
Thev parry 81 men h ana BOYS started ater
run towards a stream. When he got to the
stream he began having fits and was killed.
THE EXPERIENCE OF POUND MEN.
"Are not your men frequently bitten by
dogs?" asked the reporter.
II have been at the pound now since March,
1873" said MIR. Einstein. 81 have had en-
ployed there since then, I suppose twenty or
Twenty-Five different men as laborers. Every
ten by dogs, not once only, but several times.
One man named James Miller was bitten very
badly on both hands and on the knee. He
worked for several years after that and died Of
consumption. Several OF the men who have
been employed at the pound are dead. but all
Alonzo Perry, Andrew Elliott and Others were
bitten. The severest bite was one given to
Albert Fortune, who is employed at the pound
IN w fni Of tc fpI 4v,ryo
bitten off by dot, that would call o mixture
between bull dog and shepherd dog, an ami
order to put the dog into the pen grabbed him
back of the ears. One OF his fingers slipped
down too near the dogs jaw. and the dog turn
the joint. Albert had a sore hand for over six
months. When his hand gets very cold now
he Ms suffers terribly with that finger Scott
once in the right thumb: l thought the wound
would never heal. DR.. Townshend treated him
employe, has been bitten. 1 suppose John
Wells, who has been there longer than any OF
the others, has been bitten at least twenty
once while killing the dogs. can name good
many;-..Shirley Williams Joe Burroughs, Phil
Meredith t, Charlie Wiiiiams-ali Of whom have
as when 1 first knew them. They have all
been bitten by. different kinds of dogs.
insisted on killing the dog at once, though the
law requires that the dog shall be kept in pound
for 4s hours. No, they have not said that they
thought 1t would prevent hydrophObia if the
dog was killed They say that they want to
kin the dog to prevent his biting some one else.
dog, except in cases where the animal made a
savage and unprOvoked attack on the man.
When dog which has bitten a man at the
pound is redeemed. have generally kept
watch to see where it goes. l tell the owner in
such case that the dog pit one ofour men. The
es ha is a of and
catch dog in the street men will stand by
urging the dog on, saying Sic HIM, bite him.
and endeavor to make him bite the pound
man."
WHY DOG BITES HEAL SLOWLY.
"Why does dog-bite require SO long to heal?"
inquired the reporter.
The tooth OF dog Is blunt instrument. It
flesh. That is one reason why bites take SO long
to heal. Then the saliva and the matter on the
teeth is poisonous. If q man bites another, his
in the same way, dogs tooth, or the tooth of
any WanIm aaa may poison s mans blood
Gus than as more danger
This country, in my opinion" said the
poundmaster, "is too warm for Spitz dogs
dogs several years ago, good many such dogs
were taken to the pound. In proportion to
6ae ts nave KILLED more stz dogs
remember of any such dog being redeemed or
called Tor at the pound unless it was licensed
dog. do not think there are many in the city
peculiarly shaped head, and are vicious little
things and their bite is more apt to be poison
Gus than that of others. In the summer they
are continually putting and soldering, and
seem altogether untitled for this climate"
WASHINGTON COMPARATIVELY SAFE.
1--WE are not liable to have an outbreak of n.y.
drophobia here. We have very few tramp
dogs in this city, and it would be hard matter
for hydrophobia to spread in the District. We
take up dogs all the year around. II the emer-
gency should arise we could, almost at a mo-
gather up all the unlicensed dogs in the city.
think dogs without home and kicked about
the streets ,ia; and always scared and sick are
dogs that are well cared for Then such q dog.
if 1t bites. is moro likely to poison the blood
charge Of the pound, 1878, the ordinance rex
september IS. In three months we got away
dogs. I saw, however, that s's the n namper
OF the dogs was increasing. and upon
tended two months, from May Is, to October
licensed went into force, and we began to >, take
been taking dogs the whole year around since
1873 we would have had the dogs pretty well
under control now"
THE DOG POPULATION.
GLOW many dogs are there in the District?'in-
quired the reporter.
81 have told the authorities" said Mr.. Elm
stein, "that there are from $4,000 TO $4,000
dogs within the city limits, and in the county
from 9, 900 to 5000 more. We know there are
q large number of unlicensed dogs within the
city limits now, as we pick up from twenty to
forty a day, There are between 5000 and
1000 dogs licensed now. II the dog tax law
was more strictly enforced 1t would be still
better. In August and September when the
police were bringing charges in the Police Court
against owners OF unlicensed dogs, there were
hundreds of cases where people left orders for
the pound wagon to call for their dogs There
are some folks who think we ought to raid the
dogs at night. We made an experiment col
lecting dogs at night, but 1t would not work
In the first place you cannot see whether q dog
has tag on Or not, and you are likely to lose
much time and then the men are very apt to
be bitten as they cannot see how to handle the
dogs.
"No," said Mr. Einstein, ST do not think there
Is any possibility Of hydrophobia spreading to
of an outbreak Of hydrophobia are less here
than In any other city, for this s the only city,
believe. where dogs are captured and taken
to the pound the whole year round. The law
gives the commissioners power to order that
all dogs be muz2led. In case of need such an
order would be made; then we would take
every dog on the street without q muzxle, tag
The American Society Of Naturalists.
ELECTION OF oFFrCERs-G. K. GILBERT, OF THIS
CITY, PRESIDENT.
The American Society Of Naturalists began
its annual session in Boston yesterday. Presi-
dent Gilbert, of the United States geological
survey, occupied the chair. The secretary's
report showed that the society has $50 men,
bers. The report contained recommendation
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