The Portland daily press., 1890-08-19
Concerning HydrophobIa,

To the Editor OF the Press:
lam glad to see in your journal that you
have by generalizing from remarks made by
DR.. George ii. Bailey, state veterinary sur
geon, in regard to the popular feeling tow
ards hydrophobia, and the action taken by
several towns In this state concerning dogs
given greater publicity to these matters. 1t
Is not to be supposed that the people can un-
derstand and fully appreciate exactly the
proper attitude to be taken in relation to
such subject as do those whose profession
1t is to make study Of 1t. Hence a few ex-
planatory remarks in the papers from time
to time from professional standpoint would
do much toward instructing the public and
doing away with great deal of unnecessary
fear and anxiety, to say nothing of lessening
expense and saving the lives of many valua-
BILE dogs. The dog has been mans constant
companion from time immemOrial; the dog
has a marketable as well as a sentimental
value, both of which vary in degree; this is
fully recognized by all, hence some common
sense should enter into our attitude toward
him. 1t should be understood that a dog
shares other Of the ills that flesh is heir TO
than rabies alone, which is one Of the very
rarest; that because dog shows signs and
symptoms indicating a departure from
health, In does not necessarily follow that
he has hydrophobia, not even II he Is con-
ventional and refuses Qears) water. II
dog is worth having at all he is worth taking
care Of, as one would any other dumb ami
mall he must have regular food, water,
sleep and exercise as much as ones horse ii
he becomes Ill (th0ugh IL he has this care the
chances are that he will nOD he must have
attention and perhaps treatment. Do not
shoot or knock the poor fellow in the head at
the very first symptom, having labelled him
mad dog" thus spreading false report all
over the neighbOrho0d to the alarm of every
one within radius of 10 miles. l am not
personally informed as to the details Of the
cases reported from Brunswick and other Of
our towns, but do affirm that such action
as has been taken by the local authorities is
uncalled for and needless to an extreme de-
gree; because one dog or two dogs are suf-
tering from genuine rabies no reason exists
for wholesale slaughter OF all the rest Of
the canine race in the town, or even for their
being muzZled After the supposed carriers
of the disease have been killed it would be
well for all others which have been in the
way of possible infection to be shut up, not
fastened Eth VIZ chain no longer t than the
left free in a spare chamber or
stall with plenty to eat and
drink. Then await developments; even II the
dog becomes Ill. II Of value. do not hasten to
kill the animal, but call in veterinary sur
geon, or II one be not at hand, your own
physician, for /, as member Of the medical
profession, frankly state that / would have
but little respect for brother whu In case
Of emergency would refuse to give when re-
spectfully solicited, his advice as to the ma
ture of dogs illness or, as for that matter,
the illness Of any animal for which the own
,er had so strong an attachment as Is often
found between dog and its master. How
much better, how much more sensible this,
than Immediately to put to death every dog
coming within reach and by sending out the
en- into tetenoid convulsions every sensitive
man, woamn and child in the neighborhoOd.
II only a share Of this energy and activity
could be directed by the people against con-
tagious diseases such as diphtheria and scar
let fever when they appear among US, dis
eases which cause the death Of ten thousand
persons where hydrophobia does one, what
difference would appear in our death rate
How much less work and care would be
thrown on our health boards? For fear of
occupying more space than would be proper
refrain from speaking of the great influ-
ence Of false reports, false ideas and espec-
tally fear in generating so many cases of So
called hydrophoba. The wide publicity
given by the newspapers to the subject es-
pecially since the advent of Pasteurism.
tutes, tends only to an increase in the mum
Der of cases and serves to keep the popular
mind In constant state Of anxiety. So great
in fact Is the truth of this that it is doubt
iul question as to whether the good result
ing from Pasteurism in this coudtry is not
oyershadowed by its influence in the diree-
tion stated. In concluding cannot do bet.
ter tnan qu0testrom a recent editorial In the
New York Medical Record:
Every one who has studied the subject
exists at ali in the human subject, is at least 4
very rare disease. Compare this fact with the
almost countless number of persons who are bit
rabid II statistics were corrected on this polni
results would prove that there is no more an
parent relation Of cause and effect between tic
accidental sneeze aud strcke Of lightning.
Although we do not wish to dignity the present
hydropnoDia scare by calling 1t an epidemic, the
tear Of u which has been scattered so widespread
over the land has placed 1t on the top wave OF
general discussion. Fear has at present every
'"iiis 70 hiinselt ana 1t Is time to call halt:
1t is a curious fact, that In France and else
closely dependent upon the rise o. Pastenr insti-
tute, and the more the institutes nourish the more
numerous becomes the cases OF hydr phobia
among the community at large,
Admitting the existence Of hydrophoqia as
distinct and well defined disease, 10 Is certainly
one of exceeding rarity, and one may pass
through a long professional life without seeing q
single case in which the symptoms would suggest
rabies. Yet within the past six months we have
heard of nothing so frequent as of hydrOphobia.
IL our country were as thekly populated with
abandoned ours as is the city of C1nstantlnople
itself (where, by the way, hydrophoeia IS said not
TO be recognized) we could not expect ITO nave
more cases Of the disease than we are told that
we have now. 1t cannot be doubted that many u
not ALL of these cases are instances simply OF
fright and that Of those treated OF preventative
inoculaiiOns sc-called, not one in ten, at YerY
high estimate Is in the slightest danger OF acquir
ing hydrophobia. The rest, and thoussnds el
other people throughout the country are slhpD
frightened nearly to death.n ,..... =, ~