Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-28
Statement of the Health Officer Re-
speeding the Disease.
QUESTION OF DIFFERENTIATION
Appearance of Symptoms After
incubation of Subject.
PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

| Star reporter. which is in part as follows:
The discussion which has arisen over
| the order recently issued by the Commits
| s'oners requiring the muzzling of dogs has
| certered almost entirely upsn the muzzle
| rather than upon the disease which the
muzzle Is intended to prevent. 1t may be of
interest, therefore, to consider for a mo-
| ment the disease itself without reference to
the matter of muzzles. This disorder is be-
coming more and more generally known as
rabies, which means simply madness, and
Is the equivalent of, the more common term
mad as applied to dogs Hydrophobia.
which is another name for it, means dread
of water. although such dread exists only
IN the popular imagination 1t is now
known that the apparent fear of water is
not caused by the water itself. but is due
TO terror OF the severe spasm of the mus
Giles of the throat which results from eff
forts at swallowing.
Rabies has been recognized as a dis
dnct disease since the earliest historic
times. 1t has been, however only within
recent years that it has been possible to
differentiate this disease with certainty
from others more or less similar. SO that
1t is possible that the early writers may
have included maladies other than true
rabies i'll their discussions of that disease.
Nature of Hydrophobia.
But even at the present day the nature
vi lSurOpnODla Is laF from Delbg clearly
determined. We know that it is a disor-
der which exists to a great extent among
CANNES. the most important of which. so
far as civilized communities are concerned.
is the dog, the bite of the animal being
regarded as especially dangerous. The dis
ease does not confine itself, however, TO
CANNES, but cats. skunks. horses, cattle.
swine, wolves, sheep, foxes, jackals, deer
and other animals may be the victims
We are not yet able to identify the or
ganism which causes the disease, although
it is everywhere recognized that ii must be
some low form of life. Neither are we able
to say through what channel the poison
reaches the nerve centers after being in
oculated in some remote portion Of the
body. There is no reason to believe that
physical annoyance. hot weather or unsat-
isficd thirst, hunger other bodily need
can originate rabies.
Appearance of Symptoms.
THE time required for the appearance of
symptoms after incubation varies consid-
erably. 1t is found that when the virus is
Introduced directly into the nerve tissue, as
is done in animal experimentation, symp-
toms ordinarily appear in about ten days.
The period of incubation in human beings
varies from about six weeks to two months,
and cases are reported in which It is al
legged to have been delayed for more than
a year. Such cases are. however, rare.
Ordinarily. if no symptoms have developed
at the end of ninety days the danger may
be looked upon as slight The cases of
which we still read occasionally in country
newspapers, in which the victim dies in
agony twenty-four hours after being bit
ten, may be regarded as instances in which
the victim of the bite has been frightened
to death.
1T must be borne in mind, too. that many
persons who are bitten by dogs actually
suffering from hydrophobia do not develop
the diSease-a fact to be remembered when
undertaking TO estimate the value of any
preventive treatment. such as cauterizing
the wound, etc. The danger of infection
varies with the part bitten. The infectiTe
particles exist in the secretions of the
mouth and are carried into the wound on
the teeth of the rabid animal. We find,
therefore, We would naturally expect,
that bites on exposed surfaces. such as the
hands or the face, are much more likely
to be followed by hydrophobia than are
those upon parts of the body covered with
clothing: for, when a bite is made through
one more layers of cloth, the teeth, even
if they come into contact with the tissues
at all, do SO only after they have been
cleared more or less thoroughly of the Sc
cretions which We're them by their pass
age through the fabric This is well shown
by the fact that Of persons generally who
have been bitten by dogs known 10 have
rabies. l 5per cent died as the result, while
if we consider only such as have been
wounded upon exposed surfaces, the pro-
portion of deaths is from 60 to 50 per cent.
in view of the hopelessness of the case
when the disease has once developed and
the horrible suffering which accompanies it,
owners of dogs should be familiar with its
symptoms. and should be on the alert at all
times, for no matter how gentle dog has
been While in health he is liable, when suf.
fering from hydrophobia. TO bite even those
who have been kindest to him. One au-
thority on veterinary hygiene has recon-
cd aph pNR-T1. IF doc l,.a T,t,.
nished at the time of the issue of his dog
license with a brief statement of the prin-
ciples governing the care of dogs together
with such 4 description of the onset of
rabies as would enable him to recognize the
beginning of the malady. Such instructions
might with advantage be printed on the
license itself.
in the first place dog which is known
to have been bitten by a mad dog ought
to be killed at once. If the dog which
has bitten it is only supposed to have been
mad it may be sufficient to send the wound
ed animal to some properly-kept veterinary
hospital until the period of the incubation
OF the disease has passed.
There are two species of the disease
one known as true or furious rabies, the
other as paralytic' dumb rabies The
latter is much the less dangerous. as the
animal is not able to do much damage on
account of his paralyzed condition. A dog
not pass suddenly from his usual state of
playfulness and good nature into a state
of Juror, but first shows changes in aspect,
behavior and general characteristics.
Earlier Stages.
THE condition of a dog in the earlier
stages Of this disease has been well sum
med up by a distinguished veterinarian as
follows:
'Distrust a dog when it commences to
be unwell: every sick dog should, as a
rule, be suspected. More particularly dis
trust a dog when it becomes dull mo-
rose and seeks solitude: which appears
not 10 know where 10 rest; which is all
ways on the move, prowling, swapping at
the air. and suddenly barking at nothing,
and when all around is perfectly still; whose
countenance is somber and only assumes
its usual animated appearance by brief
starts. Beware of the dog that is always
seeking and scraping and exhibits aggres-
sive movements against phantoms; and
finally, beware above all of the dog which
has become too fond of you and Is contin-
ually endeavoring to lick your hands and
face
IF the signs enumerated above are those
on which We may rely to a certain extent
in the recognition of the early stages of
rabies. there are two which popular fancy
associates with this malady which we do