Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-16
3 OR
Emphatic Views from an Expert on Hydro!
phobia and Canine incubation.

Emphatic Views from an Expert on Hydro!
phobia and Canine incubation.
Anew York physician who has hopes
Of acquiring a fame similar to that!
which has crowned Pasteurof Paris, has
laid out an entirely new field for him
self i n the hydrophobia line. Pasteurl
undertakes to cure any person who has
been bitten by a rabid canine by a pro-.
cess of incubation which has been fire.
qucntly described. The New York
doctor sees the Frenchman and goes
him several points better. His doctrine
IS that prevention is better than cure,
and he proposes to do away with hydro
phobia altogether. He means to estab-
fish dog hospitals and dispensaries
where every dog in the city shall be in
oculated before reaching the period of
adolescence. The virus to be used for
the purpose is to be taken from rabid
dogs OF from the larger and fiercer
beasts OF the c~arniverous order, if team
be procured. He holds that dogs thus
~lnoculated can not possibly fall victims
to rabies for a period of seven wears,
n that if the process be then repeated.
a like interval must elapse before there
can be a visitation of the disease. The
plans OF this medical gentleman are
still j n incipiency, and details will be
Withheld from the public until they arc
more fully developed.
Probably no man in this city has had
a more extensive acquaintance with
dogs of low degree than John McMahon,
who has had charge of the dog pound
since it was established ten years ago.
His views on the subjects of %hydropho-
bla and dog incubation were asked
Tor. Most persons who have heard of
the project of i%noculating the dog
tribe, with dog, wolf or tiger virus,
have laughed the thing off as a very
poor joke, but Keeper Mcmahon treats
the matter more seriously.
eyes," he said, II have learned that
one OF our doctors is conducting eNperi-
ments in dog incubation. I say give
the doctor a chance, and give the dogs
a chance. 1t can't hurt the dogs and
may benefit them. Smallpox can be
warded off by incubation and l don't
see why hydrophobia can't be prevented
in some similar way-that is, mind, if
hydrophobia is what it is represented to
me to admit"
"Your idea of hydrophobia, then, is
different from that generally accepted?"
Eyes, sir. hold that hydrophobia is
a disorder generated in the brains of
weak-minded people and is more the re-
suit OF fright than of any injury done
by a dogs teeth"
GLOW did youreach that conclusion?'
"From observation and experience.
During the last ten years I have had
jurisdiction over at least so, 1000 dogs Of
all grades and ages, and l have vet to
see a mad dog. I'd like to see one, and
l suppose there must be one ortwo
some place, because everybody says so.
| have been eaten all over by dogs, but
l never allow my mind to think Of those
t%rif1es. l wash off the blood, put on a
little caustic and give the dog a kick in
the ribs, and that's the end Of it. I
have had hundreds of keepers and
catchers working for me and each OF
them has been bitten at least half a dozen
times every season, and in no instance
has one of them lost a days work in
consequence. Not a day passes that
some of my men are not bitten. 1t is
my belief that hydrophobia is a disease
Of the imagination, but still I say, vac
cinate the whole brood of ki-yis, Just to
see how the thing will work."-N Y.
MuI and ECD7ess.