The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-18
REPORT ON RABIES
DIR. WESTBROOK'S BACTERIOLOG-
ICAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS DIR,
STONES CONCLUSIONS.
SEVERAL CASES ARE KNOWN
TO HAVE EXISTED IN AND ABOUT
ST. PAUL IN A FEW
YEARS.
POINTS WARNINGLY
To This Belief, and Also Holds Out
a Promise of a Possible
Preventive.

DR.. F. F. Westbrook, professor of
bacteriology in the state university
and Psychologist for the state board
of health, has recently conducted a Sc
ries of experiments with material from
rabid, or supposedly rabid, animals in
st. Paul, the results Of which, so DR..
Westbrook reports, verifies the results
obtained by the board of health of ST.
Paul, that is, they demonstrate that
the animals exeprimented upon were
rabid. In a series Of letters received by
Health Commissioner Stone from Prof.
Westbrook the latter reports in minute
detail the results of his experiments
upon inoculated rabbits sent to him
by the health department, and also
with material obtained directly from
number Of dogs that were supposed to
have died from rabies. In all of these
cases, save one, Prof. WestbrOoks
diagnosis was rabies. In his letter OF
March 10 to DR.. Stone, Prof. Westbrook
says:
In looking into the cases reported it will be
seen that in all cases tested in which sutfi-
cient time has elapsed to obtain results, posi-
tive symptoms Of rabies have developed in all
except case No. 1, and it is possible as point
tween the taking out of the material from the
dead animals and reinoculation. 1t may be of
interest to you to know that we have OBJ
tanned positive results in two other cases
within the last two months. These cases
came from the country, one twenty miles and
the other fifty miles from st. Paul.
In a letter to DR.. Stone, dated April
2, Prof. Westbrook says
| have to report on Case No. 10 of our Sc
ries of NEGOTIATIONS for rabies. Dr. Price
brought over the head of dog belonging to
| George Sullivan, A. D. r. Office This was
supposed to have been bitten by the "Es-
| thend' dog, and was considered by DR.. Price,
who saw the animal alive, to be rabid. From
| the medulla a strong emulsion was prepared
| and used for subdural incubation Of rabbits
| Mes. AZ and 40. Rabbit No. 49, 1noculated
| March g. died during the night of March g.
| Post mortem, usual findings. From this ami
| nal rabbits Nos. "a and 65 were inoculated
| on March 80, at 10 a. m. The cord has been
! kept meantime on ice in a sterile vessel as
| no rabbits were available, and those used on
| the Both of March were very young and small,
| so that results as shown by Nos. 81 and 50,
now under observation may not be of the
| greatest possible value. Rabbit No. 49, inoc-
| ulated March 8, showed symptoms of rabies
March 20, and died during the night, within
| twenty-four hours of No. 40. Usual post
mortem findings, viz: rabies.
These rabbits then (Nos As and 49, died
within twenty-four hours of each other
! twenty-one days after incubation with emul-
sion of medulla of the Sullivan" dog and
confirmed DR.. Prices diagnoses of rabies.
In his last letter, dated April 16,
! Prof. Westbrook says:
! herewith inclose summary of recent hap
penngs in our Investigations Of the animals
supposed to have been rabid. AS you will see
| some Of it Is recapitulation with additions
showing relations of recent results to those
| already sent you. l ann convinced that the
| cases reported upon by US as follows: Case
No. l, Amelia Branch" No. 2, material
obtained from rabbit inoculated by DR.. Roth
rock from brown setter dog; Nc. 8, Doug
I las" dog; No 6, rabbit inoculated by DR..
Price from Blood dog; No. Z, "skorish''
dog Red Irish secter); No. 8, Mrs. Morris .
dog; No. 10, Sullivan dog, are all to be d.
| agnosed as rabies, with the possible exception
! CT No. l. so far, at least as our present ex-
/ periments go.
! propose to use sor1e Of the materials
/ cords and brains) obtained by from some
| of these animals after varying periods Of
! drying for protective inocuiations. and think
! if this succeeds that everything necessary to
prove beyond all peradventure that the ami
mais were rab:d will have been done. The
i experiments az they at present stand Will, l
| believe, be convincing to any unprecedented
person capable Of judging such matters
/ DR.. Stone reports three cases of
! rabies in St. Paul in May, 1895. two
! in or near the city in June, and two
! in October, while in 1896 twelve differ
ent dogs were found to be affected,
and already this year seven more are
| in evidence.