The herald., 1898-02-17
IT IS REAL RABIES
EMINENT CANINE AUTHORITIES
ALL AGREE
The Disease Easily Contracted by the
Germ-Victims Neither Avoid
Water Nor Froth at Mouth

In view OF the wide and active interes
aroused in the question rs to whether OF
not the rabies germ is here or has beer
brought into this section of the state q
number Of opinions were sought yesterda,
from men whose profession has brought
them closely In touch with dogs and the
disease, here and elsewhere.
DR.. r. j. Withers, veterinary editor OF
the American Field, who has for years
been at the head Of the Chicago Veterinary
college, and who for the past three or
| four years has been practicing veter-
mary surgeon in this city, says he sees no
| reason why rabies should not be here. He
has heard repeatedly there was no such
thing here, but as, since June or July. 1897,
he has treated nine cases of 1t, he is pre-
pared to state that whatever may have
been the case, there is no doubt but that
the germ has been brought to Los Angeles
in some way.
AS rabies is made q subject of test and
experiment in the Chicago college, DIR.
Withers may reasonably be supposed to
know what he is talking about, and to
know the disease when he sees 1t. He
says he Is absolutely positive that the
cases he has treated are genuine, and
that no good can result from calling 1t
any other name, or deceiving the public
in the matter.
DIR. Withers says climate has nothing to
do with the disease, nor has environment;
statistics show that it is more prevalent
in cold weather than in hot; that 1t is due
to a specific poison-whether of some
micro organism or toxic poison has never
been definitely determined as yet; that
skunks, coyotes and wolves are all subject
to 1t, and its manner of introduction here
is easily explained by the advent of a dog
which had been bitten either in the noun
tains or in Arizona by one of the stricken
beasts.
There are two forms, DR.. Withers states,
the paralytic or dumb rabies. where the
jaw drops, and the violent, where the dog
roams about and barks and bites. The
first symptom is tendency to depraved
habits; the dog mopes and sneaks off.
wandering about. then comes back to it's
home paralysis siezes the vocal chords
and produces the curious cross between |
a bark and a groan that is an unmistak- |
able symptom.
There are two widely accepted beliefs |
about rabies that are absolutely wrong-t
one is that water is repugnant to 1t, the |
other that it foams at the mouth ard has |
spasms On the contrary, dog in the |
last stages of the disease will make per-
sistent efforts to drink, but owing to the |
paralyzed muscles in his throat he can
not swallow; they never froth or foam at
the mouth, although the saliva may be
increased little, and if a dog does foam
and develop spasms it is pretty sure
sign of an epileptic fit, rather than rabies.
NJ. d. Waters, the dog trainer, who is
also the official dog catcher and is an all
around dog authority, corroborated DR..
Withers in all essentials, and told of a
specific instance in which he had inocu-
lated some guinea pigs with serum from
the brain of a dog that was believed to be
a victim of rabies. In twenty-one days
the disease developed and they died.
He says the brain becomes congested
with the disease, the mouth dry, parched
and very red, and the whole nervous sys-
TEN is affected. That no especial breed
of dogs is liable to it, and that 1t depends
very much on the physical condition of |
dog that is bitten by a rabid animal |
whether or not the disease develops. 1t |
is a good deal like human beings who are |
exposed to smallpox or similar diseases, |
if their physical condition is such as to
render them a prey to disease they are
stricken with it.
In England, Mr. Waters says, rabies has
been reduced to one-fifth of what it used
to be by prompt measures for stamping it
out whenever it appears. By muzzling all
dogs for the time being and taking rea-
sonable amount of precaution the trouble
is soon entirely overcome. That is what |
Mr.. Waters thinks should be done here |
now. because he is as positive as DIR. |
Withers that there have been and are cases |
of genuine rabies here.
DIR. r. T. Whittlesey, the veterinary sur
geon, Is also emphatic in his statement |
that he Is thoroughly satisfied that |
rabies has been brought here. whence he |
does not know, but he has had number |
of cases since April, 1897, and they were |
all the real article. DR.. Whttlesey con-
ours with the other authorities mentioned |
in all the salient points as to symptoms |
and manifestations of the disease.