Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-13
Rabies, It's Treatment and Proven.
Baltimore SUM

In the Health Magazine for January
there is an interesting illustrated artlcle
on rabies and It's Preventive Ireato
ment." which gives in lucid way tne
history of Pasteur's discovery and us
practical results. The reality of the dis-
ease is assumed, though 1t is coheeueu
that some authorities still DENY us
reality as a distinct affection Que 10 q
peculiar poison contained in the saliva OF
a rabid dog" Pasteur in 1881 dlscoVereu
that rabies is disease Of the brain, the
morbid principle being in the nerve cen
tres He was not, however, able 10 $50
late any specific germ which he could
breed in a flask. apart from nerve SUP
stance. and was compelled 10 cultivate lile
rabies germs in the brains of living rap
bits. He inserted in the BRAIN OF q raDDil
a portion of the spinal marrow OF mad
dog. This rabbit died OF rabies after
fifteen days. A second rabbit was treated
with q portion Of the spinal marrow Oh
the first, a third with the marrow from
the second, and so on till the disease had
been transmitted through many raDDlts.
The effect was to lessen the period OF IN
cubation till finally 1t was reduced from
fifteen TO seven days. At the same time
the virus attained a liked toXlclty, OF
definite degree of strength.
The next step was to "attenuate,' or
enfeeble the virus or disease germs
which cause the so-called hydrophobla.
This is done by placing I'm absolutely dry
air pieces of the marrow of rabbits wnich
have died of rabies seven days AFTER
incubation. on being dried up along WIN
the marrow the disease germs lose, u
seems, some part of their vitality. The
longer they remain dry the weaker they
become. When they have been weakend
to the desired extent they are mixed WIN
a "sterilliZed bouillon"-a solution or
some nutritive organic substance, recently
boied-and the mixture is ready Tor use.
In a test of its qualities, some OF u IS
injected under the skin of dog. ms
first injection is made with virus III us
most enfeebled state-that IS to say, Win
bouillon made from marrow that mas
been in the drying flask for fifteen days.
The next injection is with virus when
has been dry q less number or days, anu
so on until virus which has been but one
day dry is employed. The result OF these
repeated NEGOTIATIONS with virus OF IN
creasng degrees OF Virulence is lnal inc
dog becomes proof against rabies. lie -
proof not only against future Dltes OF
mad-dogs but is cured Of bites received
before this treatment-provided, always,
that the interval between the bite ana
the treatment is not too long. similarly,
person bitten by mad-dog undeIgoes
a series of injections, as here described,
with virus of Increasing virulence till the
effect of the bite is destroyed. The treat
ment is successful, IL has been asserteu'
whenever ii is begun soon after the en-
counter with the animal suffering from
rabies. Institutions for the treatment of
rabies by Pasteurs method exist In New
York and Chicago, and third is soon 10
be established in Baltimore. BY way or
prevention, the editors or the Health
Magazine make the suggestion that the
incubation of dogs would be safeguard
in the public interest, and should De re-
Quired by law.
Another system Of treatment, which is
employed in institutions in London and
Philadelphia, is the Buisson system, de-
vised by NJ. Buisson, a F'renchman, VINO
established its utility by his own eXpe-
rience. Being already far gone with the
rabies and in a state or great suffering.
NJ Buisson resolved to try hot-vapor
bath, hoping against hope 10 get rid or
the poison by the liberal perspiration
which such bath would provoke. Inc
result was a success. me symptoms
speedily abated, and cure, II Is sald'
was effected. The case attracted attten-
ton, with the result, as already stated,
that the Buisson method is practiced at
establishments in London and Phlladel-
phia. The principle seems to be the same
that Is relied upon in Eastern ltaly Tor
the cure OF the bite of the tarantula. IN
Monthly, in an article on spiders. IT Is
stated that the popular belief about
tarentum, where the tarantula aDoundS,
is that the proper cure for MS bite is
"lively dancing tune. When the Nictim
of the tarantula hears the tune he Is
supposed to be unable 10 resist the temp
tation to dance He thus grows very
warm, and the perspiration comes out IN
great beads all over him, each bead fllled
with poison. After he has danced as
from his system" The Buisson system
deserves consideration. If only for its
simplicity and harmlessness. Whatever
the merit of the Pasteur method, II mas,
it appears, certain risks and recent eN-
periences seem TO show that IL Is not
uniformly successful The vapor bath,
if efficacious, has the capital merits OF be-
ing easy of application and Inexpensive.