New-York tribune., 1899-07-28
DOCTORS DISCUSS PAS1EOh'
THE S. P c. A. DEFENDS THE Do" N-
MAKES LIGHT OF HYDROPHoB1A.

MAKES LIGHT OF HYDROPHOblA'
,r, ,or ,ybo removes an ancient landmark 'eais >
down an old idol banishes a uhe"oi' p
stition cannot expect TO escape s~e'eie ~ o. h,s
and unless he can show the best OF reaso"' %
action is likely to meet with hVeE oppo2i'.., ppI,,.
Tho American Society for the prevention oi Niu''
20 Animals has put itself in that position ny uyns
- ,,rove IN the July number Of its magazine our
Animal Friends" that there are no such thlhss as
dog days" and that Pasteur's treatment iot "s
drophobia has only caused N'+st HI0ie -
fering to the human race NOW. uoe N' -.
haconoa endeared 10 the human race by ceh'ul'eS
~ Familiarity and II they are 70 be rebgh'eu W
the limbo of William Tells apple at this late GATE
nrho+ will become of the men who have 10 write
about midsummer weather? They simply VIII ho'
tolerate 1t. Pasteur. moreover. is geheraiiS az
knowledged to be one of the worlds psheiao'oi'
and though the society may attack MS lame anu
his method and his statistics and quote other uoc-
tors in support of its position. yet the "orlu II
,,,o,v 70 retort that none Of the learned men Whom
the society relies upon Is greater authorl'y 'iaN
Pasteur himself They may therefore REFUSE " NC
lieve such testimony against mat vi 'ho ei'
French scientist and will be likely to return 'ei-
dict that the society, in seeking 10 ueieHu .ne
reputation of the dog. has unwarrantaoly assal'eu
that Of the man. . ,.,
In tho first place the society asserts that there
arA no dog days because there is no time OF the
wear when dogs are specially liable 10 raDles,
,rbora are no more cases Of rabies in July and
August than in December and January 1T '"ei
declares that rabies in dog Is an extremely rare
disease and that the cases where It has been com
municated TO a human being arc still rarer' EN-
rort nbvsicians adds the society who have given
enecal attention to the subject, convinced that
hvdrophobia is never caused by the bite OF ooe'
and that It is simply hystercal. nervous as
ease caused by an unfounded dread Inc society
does not commit Itself wholly to that sweeping
bt1,- tn hfc JEaV
Remember these facts There more than a
sunnosed 10 be mad is not mad at all; in all prop-
Sy Sn Sttsn amy GSg not ny mad aEd if
by dog that really is mad; the DANGER In, 81 hS ,
Can do IS lust TO take few vapor baths, as not as
YOU can bear them. The perspiration VIII elml, e
into voi,r system Then endeavor TO forget all
about II. II you follow this simple alVlCe ;, 'he ne
chances are intellectually great that you VIII De
perfectly safe
In recommending vapor baths as the best remedy
the society prepares readers for the attack on
Pasteur, which It bases chiefly on the expert opin-
ion of Dr. Charles w. Dulles. lecturer on the his
tory of medicine at the University OF pennsylvania
1t says in part;
What. then, are we to think OF the fearful n ac,
increased rather than diminished since 1884, when
to the WSa of Curing that disease
DR. Dulles has carefully investigated the facts.
q that the treatment OF NJ 1aSleui, ldi
from having diminished the number OF deaths from
alleged hydrophobia. has actually increased mem.
SAYS Dr. Dulles The year before ne mace that
! boast there four deaths from hydrophoDla III
| Paris (he Department of the Seine); the year
after when he had practised his preVentlve melno1
for six months the deaths from hydrophobia leaped
! at once from four twenty-five. In 1886 the num-
| Der fell to three again in Paris but nave hst
of twenty-three persons who died after treatment
by Pasteur himself in that year In 1877 the deaths
in Paris rose TO nine; in 1883. to nineteen. Ihese
| oscillations Indicate that Pasteur's method is no
| more preventive Of hydrophobia than Is the method
! which he declared in 1884 would eradicate rabies
! in dogs. On the contrary, Pasteurs method mas
undoubtedly increased the number OF deaths from
| hydrOphobia. ! have indicated what has taken
| been no diminution in the number OF deaths from
! hydrophoba in any part of the world. and at the
same time there has been added to these a large
| number Of deaths due to inocuaton or the virus
! how many these have been no man can say
The societys comment this strong arragn-
ment is:
| In this opinion Dr. Dulles may be in error; but
II he IS it is incumbent upon the disciples or Pas
/ teur to show his Until they shall do so. we
do not see how nor why any one should be eX-
| pected to regard the Pasteur method WIN any
thing but grave apprehension.
The society also quotes DR.. Parvin. Of Jefferson
! Medical College: Dr. Thomas O. Morton. Of the
! College Of Physicians and Surgeons; DR.. Mills. OF
the University Of Pennsylvania and DR.. Hearn. OF
! the College Of Physicians and Surgeons in support
Of its position that true hydrophobia IS extremely
rare and that most OF the cases so called are due
! solely TO fright acting upon the nerves, and TO
lively imagination agitated by such men as Pas
| teur and his followers.