Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-09-14
HTdTODlODia OF Rabies.
There is a genuine disease known

OgniZed disease. 1t IS a dis ase
affecting especially the central
nervous system, the brain or spinal
cord. I'll Is an infectious disease,
always arising from incubation OF
animals or man suffering from the
disease. This being tue, iutelli.
gent and determined efforts, ex
tending over tue entire country,
would result in its final total ex.
tirpdliOn. For this purpose, all
unnecessary dogs, or cats should
be humanely put to death. All
strange dogs or cats having no
responsible ownership, should also
be put to death. All necessary
ones shOuId be properly tagged, for
ready identification when peceS-
slIy, and mu7zled when required
f,r public safety. a high dOg-tax
is one Of the most beneAcicDt forms
Of taxation ever propose |. 1t It.
lieves the community TO mat ex-
tent irom the necessity Of other
forms OF taxation, and helps TO
eliminate Sarpius dogs. The owner
will willingly pay the tax on those
abImals that are really useful, while
those not WOr Ii the tax Oe put
out of The way. 1he Tst symptoms
of the disease in dog or other
ANNUAL is il tendan,y TO roam.
Hence every stray dog is a sus-
piciOus character ard should be
looked alter. II he has not bitten
any animal or person, and no
owner be found for him, he shOuld
be killed. However, II he has
bitten any per on OF animal, he
ShouId not be killed on any account,
even although he is supposed 20 be
mad. By thus killing him you re
move the only Ger ain means OF
diagnosis you have as to whether
he was rabid or not, ard conse
quentiy, tie only element OF prog
nOsis you have as to the likelihood
oi those bitten hy him to develop
the disease. Tue importance OF
lh CauuO; be over, stlmatrd. Be
not too q lex with the gun or club.
Capture the dog aud chain or pen
hirl up. l he has rabies be will
soou distinctly show it, AMI will be
dead within ten days. This will
eud the uncertainty and all The
animals bitten bJ him should De
killed, and the persons bitten
should he prt at once under The
specific treatment. Ii he proves
not 10 be rabid, "A great anxiety is
relieved, ana the wounds may be
regarded as ordinary laceratel and
punctur,d d Wounds. Two points
must be especially bourne in
mind : y rdhid dog seldom fears
,cdter, aud he nerer has fits. a
rabld man cannot drink water be-
cause OF severe spasm Of the
throat, and after lev painful at
tempts lie acQnirics fear or dread
of wattr. A rabld animal, on tie
other hand, seldom has these
lar ngeal spasms, aud he loves
water, as 1t helps lOc0Ol his intense
thlrst, as TO the fits, dogs hay e
many nervous disorders character.
izad by them bat they do not Oc-
cur in rabies. They have occasional
Slight cOnvulSlve tremOr5, which
canuot be called "Gts' as OF din .rlly
understood. \ little courage, cool
ness AID presence Of Mild will 60
a long way towards helping to de.
termlne any doubtful case. The
other well known symptoms OF
madness will be Obiesved : Tue
animal shows change of dis
position, tendancy 20 eat strange
things; tearing up clothing OF
wool; there is the peculiar hOaise
"iabid1 bark or howl, with extreme
reStleSsness and irritablllty. Very
soon follows the period of mania,
when he will rush with the iury Of
dem II at any animal or person
he meets, with OccaSlOgal m0men
tary periods of abstrSctiveIy glar-
ing into vacancy, then suddenly
becomes furious again, even tear
Ing at parts of his own bJdy, a
sticky saliva dipping from bis
mouth. This is followed shortly
by the stage of paralysis, observed
first in the hlud legs aud lower
! Jaw. THIS gradually progresses
until it ends III death. The period
from taking the disease is usually
about 8 days, it may be shorter
Tue poison may be conveyed by
ldcerated bite, Ivy a simple pune
tured bite, by iorcible licking wi'h
the hard, iaspiug tongue, or by
the saliva coming in direct contact
with any raw surf~ce OF the skin ol
mucous membrane OF the mouth
that would be sufficient to allow q