The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-05-10

THE STRAY DOG NUISANCE.


1t is long since the city and its en-
virons have enjoyed 80 great an immu-
nifty from stray dogs. There is no need
at this time to comment upon the tardi-
ness with which steps were taken to
abate the nuisance. Suffice it to say
that the Marshal in dealing with it in
the vigorous manner be is now doing is
rendering a public service for which he
is to be commended. We only hope
that the duty is not one destined to be
performed spasmodically, but that the
enforcement of dog regulations will
henceforth be done with uniformity
The subject is of much greater import
ance, especially in a warm climate,
than may appear on the face of it. Elk
perience has shown that it is usually the
stray dogs which are diseased, and the
risk of the various diseases to which the
canine race are subject being communi-
Gated to man is no imaginary one it is
a reality well established on a scientific
basis. To say nothing of hydrophObia,
which we believe has not yet made its
appearance in these Islands, there are
other maladies, equally as insidious,
more common, and if less to be dreaded,
are yet bad enough TO be guarded
against. For instance, hydatids is the
form in which the tapeWOrm of the dog
occurs in man. To quote from a medi-
cal authority, 'the eggs of the tapeworm
escaps from the dog and are scattered
broadcast. We know not when and
where we may swallow them, for a
single worm goes on producing eggs by
the thousand, and these, owing to their
great vitality and small actual size, may
be carried long distances by wind and
water, and SO poison more or less of a
whole neighbour Ood."
Another loathsome disease is mango,
which also is "highly contagious, for
hardly can healthy dog lie on the spot
where a NANCY dog has recently
reclined without being affected. The
parasites that may drop or crawl
from dog on to the floor where he lies
may live there for several days; it is we'll
know that on man they will live for
weeks. and, although they are not sup
posed to breed on man, still they excite
an irritable disease, which for a time
is nearly as intolerable as itch itself"
Ringworm is a variety of mango, and,
as is well known, it affects cattle as well
as other domestic animals, and the
human race.
In the Nineteenth Century, for
August, 1887, is an article describing
the extremely complete dog regulations
of Bavaria in particular, and of Germany
in general. 1t is futile to hope for any
thing so complete in this country, but
the results are such as should be noted.
The regulation came in force in 1876 in
Bavaria. Before this time the number
OF dogs reported as rapid or suspected
was over 800 per annum. Now it is
about 10 per annum. Before the regula-
tons the number of cases of hydrophO-
bia averaged 26 per annum; now it is
only p per annum, i. e., one in every
two years. At the same time the num-
Der of dogs still remains at two-thirds of
what it used to be. Thus, the hydro
phobia cases are only 2 per cent of what
they used to be, while the dogs are still
66 per cent; or the hydrphobia decrease
has been SO times as great as the dogs
decrease. So that it is clear that the
one-third of the dogs that have disap-
peared owing to the tax regulations in
cluded nearly all the dangerous dogs.
Danger to human life in Bavaria from
this cause is thus seen to be now inf
LawShave succeeded in pre-
venting what science, through Pasteur,
has SO largely been seeking to cure. And
what is said of rabies and hydrophobia
nay also be said of other canine dis :
,asas-mutatis mutandis-lot to speak !
# the aesthetic element in the matter,
md this is not inconsiderable.