Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-09-14
wAgN rng poe sTAa sHlNgs.
The Only Way in Which Hydrophobin Can
BE Wholly STAMPED Out

AS soon as that very bright star, which
adorns the sky like a miniature moon, begins
to shine with unusual brilliancy, the hue and
cry against the mad dog begins. The dog
star is raging, and every dog which happens
to be out Of breath or which wears hungry
look, is regarded with suspicious alarm by
drophobia is in every ones mind. The small
boy is seen daily dragging ours through the
streets in the direction Of the pound. The
pohcemanS revolver is ever ready for the
cry Of mad dog. People who own dogs are
looked upon by their dogless neignbors as
little less than public calamities
The causes for all this alarm are to be
found In the fearful nature of the disease,
which is inoculated with the virus of rabId
dog, and in the vague and uncertain ideas Of
this disease which exist in the minds of even
the most learned physicians. Some doctors
say there is no such thing as hydrophobia.
Others insist that there is actually such a
disease, and that it is absolutely incurable.
However this may be, all agree that many
persons bitten by dog which reveals the
symptoms Of what Is called rabies, die deaths
of horrible agony-deaths which begin with
vague fear of all movements and sounds,
which continue in the appearance Of spasms
of violent nature, and which end in fright
full agonies. Whether 1t is only fear OF q
myth which kills, or whether it be an actual
dream, the result is there.
There is one great fallacy in connection
with the disease-one which Is prevalent
among all classes of people. 1t is thought
that dogs only go mad in the hot months.
This is untrue. Rabies Is common among the
wild dogs which course the bleak and steppe
plains Of Russia, as wen as any dogs which
are brought under the influence of great heat.
Madness Is liable to appear among dogs at
any season Of the year and In any place
Another fallacy Is that hydrophobia can
be cured. N. Pasteur, the now admittedly
greatest student Of the disease, states positive
ly that it cannot be cured Prevention is the
only thing which he attempts. He tries TO
check the disease before 1T has fairly gripped
the victim--while the poison yet lies latent,
and not after it has strongly and vigorously
manifested itself
Prevention then is the thing to be dis
cussed and the only thing. This Is broad
subject and involves arresting the disease In
its incipiency or preventing rabid dogs from
getting chance at human beings.
From waat has been said then 1t is clearly
folly to muzzle dog for a few weeks during
hot weather and allow him to go free during
the rest Of the year. Shutting them up In
pounds during the summer season Is equally
absurd. Neither Of these methods reach the
root of the matter.
In European countries there Is and has
been far more trouble with rabies and its re-
suits than In the United States. But now
scarcely municipality In the United States
neglects to take precautions OF more or hess
effective kind.
r., l.
duced to a system There the endeavor Is to
prevent rabid dogs from having a chance to
bite In the grand duchy of Baden special
ness in dogs. All dogs are required to wear
a collar bearing their owners name and ad-
dress, Owners must make known to the au-
thorities any appearance of the peculiar
symptoms of madness, 80 that a veterinary
surgeon may examine at once. So well have
these precautions ruled there that rabies is
almost unknown.
The authorities at Vienna publish the
symptoms of rabies and require owners to re-
port the appearance of any Of the symptoms
In their dogs under penalty of heavy fine A
dog must wear the name and address of the
owner, and If found without 1t he must pay q
fine. During the prevalence OF an epidemic
Of rabies, as In 1887, dogs were only allowed
in the streets muzzied and led. While cures
of rabies are not unknowni 10 Vienna, cures of
hydrophobia are rare indeed.
Sweden was formerly affiliated with by
drophobia, 1ss deaths from it being reported
in one year. Now all dogs are muzzled, and
rabies a thing Of the past.
Prussia has found Ii impossible to prevent
rabies because of the influx of rabid dogs
from Russia and Poland These foreign dogs
bite the home animals and infect them But
hydrophobia is almost entirely prevented by
the order requiring the muzzling Of all dogs
To cure bitten man is beginning too late
in the case. The thing Is to prevent dogs
from biting. That this can be done is shown
by the experience of the countries above
mentioned That II Is better TO do this than
to attempt to prevent the disease after the
bite has been inflicted appeals to the common
sense.
As soon as rabies assumes threatening
form all dogs should be isolated as far as pos
able. Owners who wish to take their dogs
into the streets should be required to muzzle
them. The wandering cur nuisance should
be staiape8 upon and crushed out Of exist
ence. Stray aid ownerless dogs should be
killed as rapidly as possible
Furthermore, at any time of the year any
animal bitten by a rabid dog should be de-
stEoycd at once. To wa,t TO see whether tho
disease & there or not Is an endless task. 1t
often do6snct manifest itself For years--long
after the wound has healed up. The only
safe way is to put the suspected animal out
Of the way.
BY the passage Of a few proper police regu.
ations all the scare ard actual danger could
10 avoided This done, there win be time
enough left for doctors to decide upon the ma
iure of hydrophobla, If there b such disease,
N upon the causes Of the unknown disease
which is too singular TO be classed merely UNI
Ter the head of nervousness. Cincinnati
commercial Gazette.
Niss,Sa..to- r.. s..