The record-union., 1899-12-31
SOME FACTS ABOUT RABIES.
ANIMALS THAT ARE SUBJECT
TO HYDRoPHOBLA-
DR.. Blemer Gives It's History, With
the Results Of Efforts to
Prevent or Cure It.

DR.. c. H. Blerner, State Veterinarian,
who in his practice has MADE a close
study of hydrophobia, greatly enjoyed
the recent discussion through the news
papers of prominent San Francisco
physicians Oh the subject The ques-
ton as to whether or not the skunk s
bite could cause hydrophobia was the
question at issue in the discussion, and
Mr.. Blemer smiled as he produced un-
disputed and undisputable authorities
to show that not only the skunk, but
dozens of other animals, wild and do
nestle, including the wolf, rat, rabbit,
horse, mule, cat and pig (as we'll as
the dog) could and sometimes do trans
NIT the madness to man and other am
mails.
DR.. Blemer referred to the quaran-
tine recently declared against rabid
dogs in Virginia, Maryland and the
District of Columbia, to show that the
authorities understand that the dis
ease is readily transmissible, but from
authorities quoted and cited by him the
disease, especially since science mas
stepped in, is not the bugaboo it was
twenty years ago. In short, a very
small percentage Of cases OF persons
affected with rabies prove fatal. In
giving his interesting and lucid op1n-
ion regarding the question of rabies,
DR.. Blemer said:
rabies (hydrophobia, lyssa, rabies)
has been known from the most ancient
times. Four centuries before Christ
Aristotle described it, and indicates It's
transmissibility in these terms: Dogs
suffer from hydrophobia, which pro-
vokes in them a state of madness; all
the animals bitten by dogs affected
with it become rabid, in the end In
the works of Virgil, Horace, Ovid and
Plutarch we find notes relating to this
affection.
I'm the first century of our era CELSIUS
mentions human rabies and calls II
hydrophobia; Dioscorid recommends
excelsior Of the tissues upon the surface
of the bite. Galen Second century, adj
vised special remedies against RABIES.
Among the ancient authors who nave
referred to it can be mentioned Pllny
(the younger) Columelle, and c. Aure-
lianus.
Nothing is known of rabies during the
obscure and long period of the mlddle
ages In 1891 Bauhin mentioned case
of transmission of rabies from the wolf
to man. In 1904 hydrophobia existed
in an enzootic state in Paris .(Audry).
Under this form it prevailed in Italy
toward the end of the twelfth century
Raglio, RamazzinD. During the year
HOS in Suavia (Camerarius and
Scharff). From 1854 to 1850, in Eng
land. From 1910 to 1907 in America,
especially in the West Indies and Ieru.
Toward the end of the las. century and
the beginning of the present it pre-
vailed an over Europe, and numerous
rewards were offered for the discovery
of means of curing it. From lSu3 TO
1880 it destroyed the foxes of Southern
Germany and Switzerland (Kochlin and
Franke).
In 1914 and 1916 Viborg of Copen-
hagen and Waldinger Of Vienna made
the first experimental researches on
hydrophobia- In England Delabere,
Blaine and Greve QS17-1S) gave good
clinical description of it. In 1872 it ex-
listed in Holland; in 1924 in Berlin;
in 1924 in Sweden and Russia; from
1923 to 1880 in Germany.
I'm 1923 Hertwig published his con-
tributions on The Study of Hydropho-
bfa.' a work in which he relates long
series Oh attempts dl tidiiSAii'coioA@''
the same period it was studied by
Youalt $500 and Prinz 1882. In the
wears which followed 1880 and in 1857
SO it claimed numerous victims IN
Prussia. and from 1888 to 1913 in
Austria and 'Wurtemburg. In 1893 at
the hospital of the Veterinary Schooi
of Berlin $50 cases were observed IN
the dog, At Hamburg in the same year
267 cases were recorded.
In 1861 hydrophobia existed In an
epizootic state in the countries OF the
Rhine and in France; from 1868 to 1911
in Wurtemburg, where the number OF
rabid animals amounted to o9f (449
men were bitten: % of these. died.)
Since the PRONUNCIATION of the law on
CONTAGIOUS diseases in Germany the
number of cases of hydrophobia has
considerably diminished.
Up to modern times our knowledge OF
this disease has been vague and err
roneous. Notwithstanding that It's IN
fictitious character was demonstrated