Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-30
MAD DOGS.

DR.. Louis Pasteur's Cure for Hydrophobia.
A cable dispatch to the Herald says !:
No more hydrophobia No more mad
dogs DR.. Louis Pasteur's expert
ments have resulted in most brilliant
success. AT perhaps the most impor-
tant sitting held by the Academy of
Sciences DR.. Pasteur thus described the
process of cure by means of rabbit in
oculated with the fragment OF tissue
taken from the spine of rabid dog.
The incubation of the poison occupied
fifteen DAYS. AS soon as the first rab-
bit inoculated was dead portion from
its spinal marrow was in turn inocu-
lated into a second rabbit, and so on
until sixty rabbits had been inOculated.
At each successive incubation the virus
increased in potency, and the last
period Of incubation did not occupy
more than seven days.
THE OPERATION.
Having ascertained that exposure to
dried air diminished the virus. and con-
sequently reduced its force, DR.. Pas
teur supplied himself with a series of
bottles of dried air. In these bottles
he placed portions of inoculated spinal
marrow at successive dates, the oldest
being the least virulent and the latest
the most so. For an operation DR..
Pasteur begins by inoculating his sub
ect with the oldest tissue, and finishes
by the injection Of piece of tissue
whose bottling dates back only two
days. and whose period Of incubation
would not exceed one week. The sub
iect is then found to be absolutely
proof against the disease.
CURES.
A boy twelve years of age, named
Meister, who had been bitten fourteen
times, came from Alsace with his mo-
Their to see DR.. Pasteur. The autopsy Of
the dog which had bitten the boy left
no doubt as to its having suffered from
hydrophobia. DR.. Pasteur took the
celebrated DR.. Vulpian and a professor
of the School of Medicine to see the
boy Meister. These two doctors came
to the conclusion that the boy was
doomed to a painful death and might
be experimental upon. In thirteen
days NEGOTIATIONS were made upon
Meister with pieces of spinal mar
row containing virus Of constantly
increasing strength, the last being from
the spine Of rabbit that died only the
day before. Now hundred days have
passed since Meister underwent the last
incubation. The treatment has been
thoroughly successful, and the boy is
in perfect health. He had been bitter
sixty hours and had travelled from
Alsace to Paris before the first inocula
ton was performed.
A shepherd boy named Judith, ageC
fifteen, was bitten by mad dog fort
night ago and has now been weel
under treatment. DR.. Pasteur is conf
dent Of curing him.
AN OVATION.
| DR.. Pasteur said that it was nov
necessary to provide on establishment
where rabbits might always be kept in
oculated with the disease. In this way
a constant supply of spinal tissues o
old and recent incubation would Away
be ready. Before the sitting was ad
iourned DR.. Pasteur received an enthu
siastic ovation from both the Academ,
itself and the public who were present
Among those present | noticed tn
Grand Duke Alexis, who is a great do
fancier, and NJ. de Lesseps, who wen
to hear DR.. Pasteur's report endorse,
by DIR. Vulpian.
EUREKA
: One Of the leading doctors presen
remarked that the question was whethe
/, q man cured of hydrophobia could suf
fer from second bite; in other words
whether the incubation Of virus was
guarantee against hydrophobia. In an
: swer DR.. Pasteur states that the malad
? is transmissible only by bite. If, there
: fore, by general compulsory inocu
lation Of dogs for several genera
tons dogs had been made incapa
: bic Of hydrophobia, the malady woul
: have disappeared and there would be n
occasion TO ask whether incubation ha
permanent effect or not. As to tn
2 origin of hydrophobis, DR.. Pasteu
: says nobody in the world can e,
plain its primal causes. AS he n
marked-perhaps out of politeness-
bis theory will require study by til