The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-09
DISCUSSED IN The SENATE
The Question Of MnzziiHg Dogs in
the District OF Columbia.
Mr. GaIiiHger Presents the Petition
of 1900 Citizeus Asking Tint the
CommIssioRers' Orde.' BS ReseiBd-
esi--Never saw Case of Hydro
PhObia in Thirty years' Practice.

An interesting discussion OF the dog
muzzling order now in force in the Dis
trict was preciFitated in the Senate this
morning when Mr.. CaIIinger submitted
petition signed by Two thousand citizens
Of the District asking that the order be
rescinded. At the time OF presenting the
petition Mr.. Gsllinger read the letter Of
/ transmittal which accompanied it and
which stated that the document was first
sent to the District Commissioners by
resolution OF a mass meeting OF the own
I ers and friends OF the dol- held at the a
/ tional Rifles ArmC-y on the 3Oth uItimo.
{ The Commissioners in acknowledging the
receipt Of the petition said that on &C
count Of the fact that the subject is being
/ considered by committee OF the Senate
( they did not deem il advisable TO take any
steps looking 20 resembling Of the order
pending the action Of the committee. The
petition was then forwarded TO Mr Cal
/ linger TO be presented TO the Senate. After
reading the letter explaining these facts
the Senator said That he desired to say
( further that he believed the dog-muzzling
order TO be unnecessary, cruel. and wrong,
and that he hoped steps would be taken
/ by Congress TO have it done away with.
In thirty years practice as a physi-
cian." declared Mr. GalIinger. Il have
never seen one case Of hydrophohia. and 1
Z have talked with large number OF the
most eminent physicians and surgeons
Who have made the same statement. The
disease Is Of such rare occurrence that
! though We sometimes hear OF cases Of 20
called hydrophObia IL is very difficult to
: find instances where authentic proof can
/ be had Of It's existence.
Mr.. Vest made a few remarks On the
subject In which be said that he had sat
beside a friend who died under cirCum-
stances which Indicated that Ne had rabies
/ He had frothed az the mouth and had
/ barked ike a dog
| Mr. Gallinger iuterposed the statement
/ that barking Ike a dog is not a symp-
. tom o. hydrophobia and that no mention
/ Of II could be found in medical books re-
/ latiEg 10 that subject. Continuing. Mr.
Vest said that iE his opinion n such dis
( ease eLists-if there is the least possi-
Y pi!ity Of the occurrence OF one case Of it,
| every dog ia the country ought 10 be lu-z-
z!ed
| He referred 70 an article he had seen I'm
/ one OF the local papers statUg that dog
I had bitten q child and having been killed
I by a policeman and examined by the Chief
/ Chemist OF the Department cf Agriculture
I had been declared &c have rabies. Mr..
I Gallinger. commenting upon ohis, said that
/ one Of the principal causes of the mis-
! taken Ideas people have about the disease
Z IS thai the community is being constantly
I fooled by reports OF imaginary cases Of 81.
7 He said that some yOIng scientist being
( desirOus Of making a reputation for him
self had examined the brain OF a dog
/ which had died under peculiar circum-
stances and had declared that the cause
I - its death was hydrophobia. The mUz-
cling order had resulted from that "ircum-
stance Mr. Glllinger stated that the
brain test for hydrOphOb.a has been abau-
l doued and that an entirely new test is no~
in vogue which is said TO De infallIble-
Mr. Warren said be would like 90 ask
I the Senator from New Hampshire whether
/ climatic or other conditions are such IN
/ the District OF Columbia that hydTophObia
Z Is more likely 10 exist here than else
where. Mr.. Gallinger replied that the dis
/ ease exists here only in the brains Of some
young scientists with whom tbs ci5y like
I others Is burdened. Il have no E1SitanCy.'
/ he said, in saying that there has not
l been q case OF hydrophObia IN the District
/ this year. last year. or the yeaI before,
and I do not believe that there viii be
/ case in the years TO come"
Mr.. Wolcott said that In reply 10 the
! Senator from Wyoming lSIr. Vsrren). he
/ desired TO state that there il 10 reas on
I why hydrophobis should be more prevail
/ ent here than elsewhere. The trouble
| with the existing order IN reslrL TO the
muzzling Of dogs is that il is not uniform
I throughout the United States as il should
! be" Mr.. WOlcOtt then referred 20 the
I success England had had in stamping out
I hydrophobia by a uniform muzzling law in
| force throughout the kingdona. and by pro-
/ hibiting the bringing of dogs .nto the
country by any person and undo any cir
I cusIstanCes. After this law had been in
/ force for three years. he said hydrophobia
/ had been completely stamped out and
/ there being no longer "a reason for a muz-
I zling order il had been rescinded. He ad-
/ yOcated the passage Of a law for the muZ-
zling Of all dogs in this country. which. he
said. would have the same effect as IL
had had in England.
Mr.. GalIinger said he desired to 90 on
record as saying that he did not believe
what Mr.. Woleott had said regarding the
necessity for some action 10 stamp out
hydrophobia.
Does the Senator speak as a physician
or as a SeEator?" asked Mr.. Woleott
"As both" replied Mr.. Gallnger
Regarding the existence Of the disease.
Mr.. Bacon said he had lost a number OF
valuable blooded cattle and horse by the
| result OF what he had every reascu 10 be
lieve was hydrophObia.
The discussion ended here and the petit
tion which brought Il about was referred
to the Committee on the District Of Coz
iumbia.
Row In Salvation Army barracks
READING. Pa. April s.-There was