The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-09
WILL NOT MODEST THE DOGS.
SANITARY BOARD NOT FAVORABLE
TO EXTREME MEASURES.

The FourfOOted Friend of Man Has
Friends on the Board-The Exist
ence of the Rabies in the City For
Several Months Past Established
by an Unique Chain of Evidence.
The Board Reaches No Conclusion
as to Measures 10 be Taken
Against the Disease.
The discussion of rabies before the san
itary board yesterday afternoon did not
result in any conclusions as to measures
for preventing the disease or for stamping
it out. if it now exists here, which is re-
garded as doubtful.
There was a lengthy and interesting
discussion of the subject, however. All
who were understood to have had any ex-
perience with the disease were invited to
appear before the board and give such in
formation as they had gathered on The
subject and also their views regarding
1t. There was a full meeting Of members.
The others present were DR.. George II.
Stone Or. St. ]. b. Graham, DR.. j. @.
FARRELL, DR.. NJ. X. Corbin, Or. NJ. A. Nor
ris; veterinary surgeon, Mr.. J. f. Gull
martin, and Mr.. Coffin of Florence, S. c
Drs. Stone and Graham gave an account
of the case of Miss Glahgny, who died
recently. Both physicians were satisfied
that the death was due to hydrophobia,
the circumstances and symptoms all
tending to show this.
DR.. Corbin was positive that hydrophobia
had existed in Savannah for several
months. He had considerable personal
knowledge of the existence of the disease
here, which made an interesting story.
Dr. Corbin said that in May of last year
his dog was bitten by a strange dog.
Nothing was thought of the matter at the
time, but in August the dog developed hy-
drophobia and died He had already bit
ten Dr. Jarreirs dog, however, which also
developed hydrophobia and died with ev-
cry evidence of the disease sometime later.
DIR. JarrelIs dog bit a dog belonging to
Mr.. Guilmartin. MIR Guilmartin's dog in
turn developed hydrophobia and bit
horse and a mule. Later the mule bit
SOW and the SOW afterwards bit pig. In
each case the animals bitten died of hy-
drophobiH, all manifesting symptoms Of
a similar character, and furnishing con-
elusive evidence of the existence of the
disease and the manner in which ii is con-
veyed.
Mr.. Guilmartin placed his diseased stock
under the care of DR.. Morris. While at
tending them DR.. Morris was bitten on the
hand by one of the animals He at once
sucked the poison from the wound and
later had the wound cauterized. He stated
that he had since felt no disagreaeble ef-
fects from the wound and that he did not
anticipate any.
The only exception to the hydrophobiac
succession in animals as narrated, was
that of the pig, which was last bitten.
MIR. Guilmartin fastened the pig up for
the purpose of watching the development
of the disease Before any symptoms de-
veloped however, the pig was stolen and
has doubtless been long since eaten.
What the consequences were to the par
ties who ate the pig 1t is impossible to
say.
The physicians were of the opinion that
if the facts in the Glatigny case could
have been gotten at, it would very likely
have been found that the dog which bit
Mss Glatigny would have been found to
be in the same line of succession. Mr..
Guilmartin's stables are located in the
neighborhood of Bull and Third streets,
nor far from where Miss Glatigny was
bitten. and it is not unlikely that one or
more dogs in that neighborhood were Bit
ten by his dog. This is only a suppositon,
however
Mr.. CONN furnished further evidence by
an interesting account of his experience
with hydrophobia, a number of dogs i'm
his neighborhood having died from or been
killed on account of rabies recently, the
spread of the disease being traced to one
dog.
The fact of the disease being establish
ed, the question was what measures should
be taken against 1t. There was consider
able discussion on tkis line without any
conclusion being reached. The suggestion
that a heavy tax be imposed on all dogs
in order to decrease their number did not
meet with favor Neither did the sugges-
ton that owners of dogs should be requir-
cd to keep them confined and that all dogs
found at large be taken to the city pound
TO be disposed of summary IL not re-
deemed by their owners. The arguments
against this measure were that 1t would
be very difficult TO enforce, to say nothing
of being a great hardship on the dogs,
and that while the city dogs might be
penned up there are plenty of ours in the
surrounding country which would sooner
or later convey any case of rabies which
might develop among them to the city.
The enforcement of the ordinance now
on the statute books requiring all dogs TO
be muzzled during the summer months
did not meet with favor, il having been
conclusively shown that rabies is not lin
tied TO any particular season of the year.
The friends of the dogs, of whom there
were several prese mt, opposed any such
harsh and barb0 rous measure, which
would be likely to drive healthy dogs into
fits and epilepsy and thus result in the
destruction of many healthy dogs on the
suppositon that they were suffering from
hydrophobia.
As no recent cases of dogs suffering with
rabies have been reported, 1t was decided
not to take any steps against the dogs for
the present. The rabbit, which was moe
ulated with virus of rabies two weeks ago
Is believed to be manifestlng slight symp-
toms of the disease, but the symptoms
nave not developed sufficiently to make
this certain. 1t was decided to secure
more rabbits and continue the expert.
ments.
TOO HIGH WIND FOR SHOOTING.