The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-06
DIR. GIBIER ON RABIES.
He DISCUSSES TIE PRACTICAL
TREATMENT OF HYDROPaOBIA.

Dog-Killing is a Blunder-How to Act
After Being Bitten - Ceuterlzation
Deprecated-Compa Strength
OF the Virus-In Its Last Stages 1t
Would XIII Quicker Than a Mad
Dogs Bite-Peculiarities of Patients.
The Injection Exhilarates Like Nor
phine-A National Institute.
(Copyright)
NEW YORK, july 5.-While in this couu-
try on professional mission during part
of the years 1888 and 1889. my attention
was frequently attracted to publications in
the newspapers stating that hydrophobia
had occurred at certain places, aud that the
persons who were the victims had been
bitten weeks before by animals not then
known to be rabid. The story was invaria-
bly, the same: The dog summsrily killed,
the wound either roughly cauterized or
neglected, and the fatal sequel. 1t was the
frequency of these cases that first suggested
TO my mind the idea Of establishing in this
country an institute modelled after that of
my old teacher, the distinguished Pasteur, in
Paris.
Returning to France l passed several
months there, where | studied with NJ
Pasteur the question of establishing an in
stitute in America. On Dec. l, 1889, l
again came to America, the institute project
now fully matured in my mind. My first
care was to take this house, and strangely
enough, on the very day l was installed
was prostrat d by la grippe, and was for
fifteen days my own patient. The institute
furnished, l next established laboratory, a
taS 81 hot al v
ments l had long ago. They are of
Pasteur's own invention, and have been
used in the work a long time. The chief
delay was In the time consumed in making
the preparations for incubation. | found
it necessary to spend two months in the
preparation of the virus, in its various cult
lures and different degrees of strength. In
February the institute was formally
opened.
Soon patients began to come in from New
York city and Long Island. At the begin
ming of March one from Maryland came to
be treated. In all l have treated at this
institute ffty-one patients since its opening.
In addition TO these | have iuOculated five
others, none of whom have been bitten-my
two assistants, my servants and myself.
This was purely measure of precaution;
for there is serious danger of accidental
incubation during the manipulation of the
virus and it would be a very easy matter
to contract hydrophobia while treating
Others. A little scratch, touched accident
ally by the virus, would be sufficient. The
disciples of Pasteur should show their conf
dence in the principles of the master by ap-
plying them to themselves
The largest number of patients in the
institute at one time was twenty-tour.
There are now twenty-five under treatment.
Thus far there have been no failures, and
no deaths have occurred among those who
have been treated. But | am very differ
emily situated from Pasteur i'll one respect.
The patients come here much later than
those who go to the Pasteur Institute in
Paris. Many of them arrive fifteen or
twenty days after having been bitten, and
| have one who came after thirty-five days
had elapsed Such cases | treat by a special
method-a very strong one-which L have
inaugurated according to the personal ad-
vice of NJ. Pasteur, with whom l consulted
on the subject. These late cases were a
matter of serious consideration, aud for
such he was at the trouble to give me
special instr uctons.
In the beginning of the treatment for
| ordinary cases the virus is very weak,
having been made so by method which it
would be tedious to explain. The first
| incubation could not give rabies even to a
| young mouse But after two or three
| days the virus used increases in strength,
and it could then perhaps give hydrophoba
| to young mouse. After five days it could
| give rabies to a small rat, but not to big
| one. A fortiOri, it would be impossible to
| give it to a man. Gradually the body be-
! comes accustomed to the virus as the
| strength increases, and when the last
| injection is given the virus is quite viru-
lent. Being injected in large quantity when
weak, it gradually reaches the nervous
| system, the brain, the medulla, which are
affected specially by hydrophobia. As the
| nerves and brain become accustomed to the
| weak virus, the latter is abandoned and
| the stronger quality used. When this point
has been reached the virus of rahld dog is
weaker than the virus l injec-. With
the virus of a dog l can kill In
twenty or twenty-five days; the virus l
| inject at the last stages of the treatment
would kill, with all the true symptoms of
| hydrophobia, in ten or twelve days. But
the nervous system, having already become
accustomed to the virus in it, various de-
| grees of strength, receives it harmlessly and
Is fortified by it against rabies, just as those
| who have been inoculated with cow-pox -
which some scientists hold to be another
| form of small-pox-are enabled to resist the
| attacks of smallpox itself.
| Age makes no material difference in the
| treatment of patients Possibly the young
| take the incubation slightly better than
| adults do. All the patients take the treat
| n1enC we'll. his Is especially Crue Oh une
small cnildren. They cry little at first,
as almost any child would when a probe is
inserted into its body. Then, after a few
experiences, they seem to think it wasn't
worth crying over after all. l always in
oculate on the sides of the body. The
process is exactly similar to injecting NOR
| phine, and it gives the same sensations,
| except that it does not put the patient to
sleer.
have had patients from many states
from Texas, Missouri, Maryland, New
| Hampshire, New York and even from
| Canada. Many of them are poor patients.
| For such cases, when they come from dis
tant points, the cities usually pay, but here
| in New York the treatment is graIuitous.
| No rule can be laid down for telling
whether dog has true hydrophobia or not
in the early stages A dog is dangerous five,
six or eight days before he begins to show
| the symptoms of rabies, and even at that
| stage he can communicate hydrophobia.
| Cases have been known where experiment
talists have inoculated some dogs with
| hydrophobia with the syringe or lancet, and
after two or three days their saliva has
| been tried with a view to determining its
| virulence. Sometimes it was demonstrated
| that even before they began to show
any evidence of hydrophobia the saliva
contained the deadly germs Of rabies.
When person has been bitten by dog
the sore should not be cauterized The
l eOo,atir1aS Toalyas had WON al :