The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-20
PET DOGS AND MICROBES.
LRRIERs WORST OF ALL FOR
ruEY CARRY BLOOD POISONING.

UD,sease Can BE Carried by Family
Pets.
Copyright, 1896.
Now York, Dec. 1S.-Discussing the re-
NJ nroposal of the board of health to
Erisb street dogs from all public thor
E.bfares. a specialist who has made
Es,ong study of germ diseases says:
E m the health boards of all cities would
ant a resolution that dogs were a men
70 public health upon the streets and
,st not run at large, the sick rate would
Er,nish in a surprising way, and the
read of contagious diseases would be
eatly checked.
In, Is only recently that the medical
or,d has had its attention called to the
- althfulness of the dog family. and
i, within a few weeks that any real in
saeation has been made.
orbese few days have been sufficient to
Aow that the mouth of a dog is one of the
- disease breeders in the world, and
at through a dogs mouth every infec-
kous germ can be carried.
.7,be street dog is bad enough, but the
nily dog is a thousand times worse. and
for the pet dog and the lapdog, they
70 absolutely uncomfortable in filth and
menace to personal health. 1t would be
,roost safe to assert that no woman own
no pet lapdog that is allowed to take its
.,rtngs in the public streets can enjoy
Nan degree of health.
ITO attack the pet dog first. This dog is
teld in the lap, fondled, combed and kiss
IL It is carried under the arm, against
/ ha face and on the shoulder The air of
/ ts skin and fur are freely breathed into
he nostrils and mouth, and mistress and
hoe share the same germic atmosphere.
Ene gets no worse than the other-and
10 better.
81 "The net dog gives one disease that will
he recognized by many persons. 1t is a
kim disease called favus. 1t is a dan
Eruffy state of the skin, which grows sore
+ In places The hair drops out. In the case
HI the dog a daily cofhbng Keeps him nice
Ind the mistress, if she knows about the
ecaly skin, combs the coat a little closer
byer the afflicted spot and decides that
that is where dog bit poor Fido.
with the family cat it is even worse,
for cats that are allowed a particle OF
Freedom on roof or in yard get this skin
disease. They contract it from the germ
#laden stuff they pick up, from similarly
afflicted neighbors, and they get 1t by seek
Il Ing out the dirtiest places in roof or
yard.
"A case of this kind was brought to me.
woman with three children, all afflicted
with scaly skin and head. asked me to
prescribe for them. The skin had to me
en- unmlstakable appearance Of favus.
Have you a pet dog? l asked. Oh no,
replied the woman, but we have a very
nice cat, an Angora, the finest cat you
ever saw
Il visited the house and found the fine
cat suffering from favus. All the family
had it and were using hair tonics.
THE fox terrier is worst of all the
house dogs if he is kept as a family pet.
His instincts are for hunting and he is
the best ratter known. That accomplish
ment, while highly priced by his master,
IS the one that damns him with the ply
slcian.
"A rat is a filthy animal to look at:
and a flthier one to understand. The
blood of a rat contains the germ Of blood
poisoning and is highly poisonous to the
human system.
THE blood Of a rate is poisonous also
to fox terrier. After clearing out rat
hole fox terriers mouth will be swollen;
and If a rat has bitten him he will have a
lump on mouth, cheek or jaw. This dis
appears in few days, but meanwhile the
fox terrier is kissed and Rugged, he is
petted and patted, his deeds OF prowess
gain for him an extra amount of caressing
and the fact that he is an invalid makes
him the more lovabe and interesting. In
few days his doting mistress develops
an ugly lump upon her face. Perhaps she
gets a red breaking out. 1t is blood
poisoning, but it is checked by the physi-
cian She has inoculated herself with the
blood of a rat and her own blood feels
the poison. When her complexion is bad
she stays inland plays with the dog.
Those great fine Newfoundlands that
are the admiration of every lover OF
handsome brutes is a very capable car
rier of disease germs.
THE Newfoundland, however elegant
may be his coat or how refined his cast
of countenance, has certain pleblan
tastes He loves to eat out Of garbage
buckets. Even the stately st. Bernard
and the aristocratic collie are not above
the lowering act of licking out swill
pail
Now, If that swill pail were cleaned
with carbolic acid and secured with
sand and treated to antiseptics daily, it
might afford a very grateful wayside res
taurant for master dog. But ii isn't, and
his table d'hote dinner is a terribly mixed
affair." 1t is diseased meat and sour milk
germs; putrid vegetables and unhealthy
fruit. 1t is the worst conglomeration of
badness known. 1t Is a miscellaneous
collection of germs, and everything that
can breed freely becomes bred there.
More than that, ii is a bearer of every
Ill known to that household, and the dog
gets diphtheria and typhoid; he gets GEAR
let fever and mumps and he gets every
other disease that can be carried.
Dogs are known to die of bronchitis
and diphtheria, and it is fair to suppose
That they also die of nursery diseases,
mumps and whooping cough; nor is there
anything to contradict the fact that many
a sick dog has typhoid. A family dog "a
little out Of sorts is no uncommon sight
Tor a practicing physician who has a
patient upon the same bed under which
the dog lies.
There now lies under the microscope
In my Office peculiar looking organ 1T
Is the tongue of a pet dog. He died In
house where the family had whooping
cough. have not examined 1t, but l
expect to find whooping cough in that
tongue. And why not?
"A dogs tongue is the best germ incu-
bator known. 1t Is rough enough to al
low the germs to secret themselves and
It is always kept moist and warm, three