The times., 1899-12-21

BE Compelled 10 Gather in the Mon
creI breeds That Run nt Large
spread OF Rabies Due 10 stray Ours.
Owners OF dogs yesterday universally de-
nounced The action of the District Com
mizsioners in issuing the order that here
after ala dogs must be muzzled. 1t is
looked upon by them in about the same
Light that they would regard an act OF
Congress to prohibit boys from skating on
tbe Potomac because one boy fell through
the ice and was drowned.
There is about as much sense in this
dog order of the Commissioners, re-
marked well-known merchant, " as there
would be in an attempt to muzzle the
moon. What the District Commissioners
should do is to protect the dogs that have
owners who pay s. tax each year to obtain
protection for them. Protect the licensed
dog from the tramp cur and the cases OF
alleged rabies viii be reduced TO min
lmum.
II have owned dogs Of many breeds and
! have had a wide experience with them.
but have never yet known Of a ease
where q dog that was taxed had rabies un-
less ii was first bitten by mongrel. IL
seems 10 me that the Commissioners have
acted with much more zeal than discretion
The True Remedy.
Instead Of muzzling dogs that have
owners the Commissioners should compel
the poundkeeper TO do his duty. as the law
requires him 10 DO, and rid the city Of dan
Kerous CANNES. II the pOundkeepeT's force
is not large enough TO cope with the street
nongreIs the District should set apart some
cf the money raised by taxing dogs 10 IN
grease the force I have been informed
that about 600 licenses at 81 a head are
issued each year, which, il true, makes
the total amount raised in this way SlOO0O.
II is the tramp dog that makes the trouble
and not the licensed animal
why. today ] saw just as many mon
grel ours that never had home wandering
about the streets as upon any other day
prior to the Commissioners orders Tell
ne Dlease why the Commissioners, who
barz the right and power 10 stop this eYll,
Gppear 10 pay no attention 10 IT,
Views of DIR. French.
Dr. Cecil French. a canine specialist,
whose Office is at ia Twelfth Street, and
who conducts large hospital for dogs on
fbe EIineIe Road. professionally knows
abouf sU there is TO be learned about can
&res He has constantly from forty 10
Tor-v-fve finely bred prize winners IN ms
fufrmary for treatment. His knowledge
of these animals is so greatly appreciated
by the Health officer Of the District mat
the latter recently wrote 10 Ut tEench
stating that il might be advisable 70 oIoSI
all dogs muzzled. DR.. French Immediately
sent 10 Health Officer Woodward d letter
December 5. 1899.
T. tfe Health 0fdeer District Of Columbia
Dalr SiT: Your favor OF me I'd inst, ID WncA
vou suggest thar ir might become advisable te
urge tre proIHulgatlan by the tomfnias!oHefS cl
general rulzz.lug order against the aess ci lAs
Dsstriat impels me 10 place myself on record as
dissenting from the view thar such Q pr9ceduIe
would bring about tie eradication q F4o4es "a
4 at course. obvious that under such an
srfrfrrleut enly those dogs possessed % an
cuuer would pc found 70 wear muzzles when on
The streets whilst all the tainIs ana ogJea71z
would stiI roam tle highways ay perfect libeTit
to bite and snap at whatever came IN their way
b. Il man. horse, ucE-
From observations and enquiries that ! have
made from time 20 time during the past icy
years Veu 1utarg4ls ai tle disease 1aYe oeeufI.- ~
J cannot come % arF other CONCLUSION l-a- tl.@.
the oHHer.e5s tramp Is Tie nam e1Hse % -.
ro-y u q localized outbreak have invariably beer
infclue5 that --Ihe cog WAS attacked ut aucli.e
strange orr Ehlch was running 1Lo-5" @ ~,
streets such strange dogs nave .-eat7 "sTi
described 20 me as ui the CUT type hAen ti
wandering cur has thus planted tEe 1Hieefon ne
hind INN iu Ills daruigIiHc brethren there ls no
such great danger tIlat they IN turn Nl-i oee-a'
q menace to other Cc-s, because sew owners af
inclined n uay fHe license tee lot an aHllla
which they do not value. either ln sen. iHlell-
cr pecluiary sense. and not he further NliilI.
10 secure expert advice soon o. slghuezs mann
.est~ Itself aud Immediately adopt precautionary
measures Fur,her infection IN Tbs direction
thus uipyed la fHe bud
Of course dog So suspected and isolated MAJ
yet bite and lrtllr Us master -loll4 lie talt
not exert due caution, but such a calamity " Pun
be ss likely e. hsppsa with a. without mizzl ih
restrictions. since dogs would not be Hluzzlg
while al home. lut only on The public thorou-
fares Indeed ] think J am safe ID asserting ina
there 3 30 record in the Health Department q
person having been bitten hy rabid dog wiiie
wss aat either cVncrless tramp or on ID
premise ~ It's owner ar the time ~ the oclA
rerca So that abe blame for this must ta
bscE on 5hc originally injected animal
UadeT existing municipal conditions the con
mGnlty s. supposed 10 BE- protected from the e'
isteucc oi marsulil.g o1gs through the ofncl
q tile Health Department. Theoretically %
Health Department Is perfect institution. III
pound zs tHe active branch ai the same lu
1n-listrlg concerned In The limitation ~ Oh
canine population Is -lECNlzc theoreLlc2llF pc
ssct ana K follows that theoretically there mu'
Be- 10 C1-s ~ large II the confines u the ~
the of Columbia other than those duly hcenseS
Actually however, there are q great many, an
though the PauuGuasteT and his assistants az
coz luualIy GecIWatlnE them, their numbers az
constantly recruited from the ueighbarnE c0GI
IT, districts. As long IS the negnbonng stat'
uf Maryland and Virginia which, without eXa.
Eerstiou. are horbed- Of ibis disease, exert .
measures % cUemiHate the canine nlIIIal
roaming on the bCrGerland ot the District, u
disease VIII find as way within the limits W.T.
which we are more particularly concerned, eve
were the Health Department able 10 destroy eveI
cwreriess dog found within its jurisdiction
TINS lax state of affairs does not exist who'll
amongst uelehbQrs, for u Is only liit
over one wear ago That there came 90 my not'
the presence q z band or nest % seua-NIld 90,
in Rock Greek Park, not mile nom Noul
Plessut. Thess animals, which were qui
terce. were raldiuR the uelgHhsrug poulu
yards till they were finally scut 20 rest Wi
fh0tsuns Apparently then. il would De 4lu0
impossible 10 eradicate rabies from tie Distu
unless ii could be stamped out simultaneous
al over the country bF Federal measures iu son
Fseh manner rs ths Bureau ot AuIma. ludusf
has driven contagious pleuro. pneumonia ~ cati
from tlis country
Bat mach could he done ta lessen the dang
we're the facilities iu the hands NJ tHe Health
hcer pr1pcrticuate o. The requirements
Tra pound cGTTs should hr increased Too 81
o. FIVE fold, in order that rr EefiFg eaWuai.
NAV he NOT only commenced but maintain
against this evil.
T9le District receives annually crn@ideral
s1u. 1f money iu taxation af dogs Gould Eot
Iit-le legislation he Effected 90 divert these 4,
thousand toward maintenance 1f a really prte
tisl pound
Tef aH tte cutcse-e be caraIIed and that q
queufly. and I venture the opinion that ol
breatF of ralirs win be few and Far betwceG
But d. not have a1lTu our dCmeftICated a.
ines with that useless encHHbrEucc-tle muzzle.
UseIessness Of MuzzIeS.
DR. French said TO a reporter for II
Tines concerning the alleged mad dog
the Eighth precinct which yesterday
two persons
This case shows the uselessness Of mu