The evening times., 1899-12-29
RABIES IN DOGS AND MEN.

The Astounding Experiments Made
by Surgeon General Sternberg a
Year Ago In the Light of "A Recent
Ordinance.
| To the Editor of The Times:
| l have read with satisfaction your sane
and sensible editorial exposing the absurd
| ity OF the current official hydrophobio
| craze which now distinguishes Washing
ton from all the other cities Of the coun-
| try. In connection with your belief
| that 1t may become necessary to muzzle
| some persons. let me call your attention
to the suggestion as to who ought to have
| the first muzzle. made over year ago in
local paper. READER.
Washington, Dec. 2S
To the Editor of the Evening Star:
At the recent meeting of the National
Humane Association in this city some in
teresting addresses were given which were
not fully reported in the daily papers. In
the address of Dr. Albert Lefiingwell, on
THE Art Of Scientific Equivocation." oc-
Cured the following:
Il must not forget to mention one expert
ment in inocuiation which has for us a
special interest. In the American Journal
II. etc., DR.. George n. Sternberg tnow
Surgeon GeneraD gave to the world the
somewhat startling result Of experiments
in blood poisoning. with which he had
been occupying his time, in order possibly,
to fit himself for the high position he now
fills L have demonstrated ne says, by
repeated experiments. that my saliva
injected into the snbcutaneous
connective tissue of a rabbit Tin plain Ian
death. usually within forty-eight hours.
l think l am quite safe in stating
that l have repeated the experiment at
least twenty-five times, with my own sali-
va.
81 beg those who undertake to repeat
my experiments to observe that my saliva
produced results recorded
The saliva of four students, residents OF
Baltimore. gave negative results.
In my experiments, the rabbits were COM
monty found dead or dying on the second
morning after incubation. The
constant pathologic lesion found by me was
a diffuse cellulitis or inhammatory oedema.
extending in all directions from the point
Of injection. The spleen was usually great
ly enlarged. the liver was frequently dark
In color. and gorged with blood
Il am not going to insult your intelli-
Sence by discussing the benefit to humani-
in the mouth of our distinguished Surgeon
General there is a venom more deadly than
that Of the viper or rattleshake. The fact
rests on his own statement: he is proud to
make il known. Yet it was the Surgeon
General. who had put more than twenty
five rabbits TO a lingering and. cruel death.
In order to demonstrate the yenomous
qualities he possesses; who declared to
Congress that legislation on yivisection
-1x
that those engaged In experiment
tai research do not administer ansesthetics
to the domestic animals when they are
subjected to painful experiments. tSen-
ate Report 1919, p. 1851 Did he stand over
each of these twenty-five rabbits, for forty
eight hours, with his anaesthetic. OF one
thing ! am convinced. Between such ex-
perimentation as this, so useless, SO cruel,
so loathesome. and the Disasters which
have characterized the department of the
Surgeon General during our war with
Spain, there is very clear and definite
relationship.
Waving Dr. Leffingwell's differences, ii
has occurred to me that il this experiment
was seriously made and in the interest Of
true science and the welfare of mankind
tas We are assured by the scientists that
all vivisections are), We ought promptly
to avail ourselves OF the conclusions that
Here is an eminent scientist a highly
respectable person. who himself demon
strated that his saliva was poisonous and |
death-dealing. Experimenting with the |
salivas Of four students, the results were |
the opposite. Assuming. for the sake OF
argument, that this proportion would hold |
if the experiments had had wider range, |
We see that one person In five would be |
found to be the possessor of this dangerous |
quality. In Washington this would give |
us, out of an estimated population OF three |
hundred thousand. sixty thousand persons |
who. in this respect. are 4 constant menace |
TO the remainder of the community.
The very thought is an alarming one, |
Ought not our city authorities to take |
some action in the matter? Could not our |
Health Department eoncoet an appropriate |
antitoxine or make an sntiseptic lozenge. |
or perhaps small disinfecting muzzle, for |
these unfortunates?
In view of this most important scientific !
discovery. may we not believe that John |
the Baptist was, perhaps unconsciously. |
scientifically accurate. when. in speaking |
to the Pharisees and Sadducees (some of |
the scientists of that day). he addressed |
them az Generation of Vipers?"
December 20, 1898. SANITAS.