Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-19
"vzzlINiIEt DOGS
Proclamation Issued by the District
commiassiossrs.
REMAINS IN FORCE !; FpR SIX MONTHS
g
Steps Taken 70 Prevent the
Spread Of Hydrophobia.
HEALTH OFFICE REPORT
u
OFFICE REPOR L

proclamation was issued by the Com
missioners of the District this afternoon,
under the provisions of the act of Congress
of June 10. 1878, requiring all dogs, when
running at large in the District to wear
such muzzles as will prevent the animals
from biting or swapping. the proclamation
to continue in operation for the ensuing
six months. The proclamation is due to the
belief Of the Commissioners that hydro
phobia exists in the District, and its object
is, of course, to prevent the spread of the
disease.
The act of 1878 makes the issuance of
such a proclamation mandatory when the
Commissioners have good reason to believe
that the disease exists in the District The
Secretary of Agriculture last week notified
the people that it exists not only here but
also in adjacent counties of Maryland and
Virginia. and DR.. William c. Woodward,
the District health officer. in the following
report advised the Commissioners that the
issuance of the prescribed proclamation is
warranted:
Health ONCE Report.
'In the matter of the alleged prevalence
of rabies in the District of Columbia 1
have the honor to submit the following
statement:
Definite records have been kept as to the
number of known cases of rabies which
have occurred in this jurisdiction since
July 1, 1895. Such records have been based
entirely upon post-mortem findings; they
do not include any case in which there has
not been incontrovertible evidence of this
disease. On the other hand, it may be ac-
cepted without question that cases have
occurred which have not come to the
knowledge of the health department. since
dogs die of hydrpDhOhia wit hOjlt a
of the malady being recognized or even
suspected, and because in some cases where
suspicion has arisen the condition of the
body when 1t has come into the possession
of this department has been such as to
prevent necessary post-mortem tests. The
records above referred to must be consid-
cred, therefore, merely as affording an
index to the prevalence of this disease in
the District of Columbia. and not as show
ing the entire number of cases which have
occurred.
Data Obtained.
"An examination of such records yields
the following data:
Prom July 1, 1885, to June so, 1896,
there were cases of rabies; from July 1,
1896, to June so, 1897, there was l case
from July 1, 1897, to June 30, 1898, there
were cases; from July E. 1898, to June 80,
1859. there were 8 cases: from July l. 1899
to December 8. 1892 there were 10 cases
The cases which have occurred during
the present fiscal year have occurred as
follows:
July, none; August. /; September, none;
October, .; November 81 December from
LIST to 9th, inclusive, 2.
LAS there Is reason 3tp believe that the
increase in the prevalence of rabies in
this District, as shown by the above state
ment. is due to an increase in the number
of dogs, these figures seem to show that
there has been a marked increase in the
prevalence of this disease. in the District
nf( "a hi Hnr IN he OF fuyn ara
both absolutely and4relaAvely, and this in
crease has been particularly marked since
the beginning of the current fiscal year.
Rabies is generally recognized as a con-
tagious disease, which IS acquired only by
contact, direct or ipdireet with a pre-ex-
listing case. While 1t may exist in various
species of wild and domestic animals, in
civilized communities at least the dog is the
usual medium through which it is prOpa-
gated and spread.
Conclusions Drawn.
ut may be accepted as fact, therefore,
that each of the ten animals which have
been killed since July 1 last, and which
have been proved to have had rabies, have
been bitten or wounded by some other ami
NAL or animals, suffering from that dis
ease: or that they have had wound or
wounds infected by saliva from such an
animal. The uncertainty of the period OF
incubation of this disease renders 1t I'M
acquired the disease from the same sources
from which these ten were infected, and
whether such dogs may not be now at
large, either suffering from the disease or
being in the incubative stage of it.
THE habits of dogs suffering from "a
bies renders it, moreover, not only probable
but practically certain, that some or these
dogs which have been destroyed during the
past few months have wounded others, and
that such others. in the incubative period
of the disease, or possibly even suffering
from the acute manifestations of it. are
now at large within this District. Indeed.
the fact that during the past four years
during which there has been no definite
evidence of the existence of hydrophobia
until the discovery of the acute symptoms
in isolated cases. there have been from
time to time sporadic cases. shows that
there has been a persistent source or
sources of infection, and the recent increase
in the number of cases shows that such
means of infection have become wider and
wider spread.
There is no doubt in my mind that
actual cases of rabis exist in this Dis
trict at the present time, and it Is certainly
beyond question that there is good reason
for believing So
Submitted for Consideration.
THE above facts are respectfully submit
ted for the consideration of the Commits
sioners in connection with the provisions of
section of an act to create a revenue in
the District of Columbia by levying a tax
on all dogs therein. etc. q Sup. r. S., 37D,
winch requires them under certain condi-
IONS TO issue a proclamatio requiring
that all dogs shall for a period to be de-
Hhed IN the proclamation, wear good SUBJ
stanuai nuzzies. securely put on, SO as to
prevent them from biting and swapping
would respectfully suggest that these
facts warrant, If they do not even REQUIRE
the issuance of such proclamation as is