Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-19
and crue! sAsEacter a>Snch law. That it
is painful to ffe-as.jf1al and conducive to q

and cruel character o(such a law. That it
is painful to tffe-antfhal and conducive to q
maddened condition cannot be questioned.
while we have it from the highest authority
that hydrophobia, If 1t exists, is SO rare as
to render the danger of contraction mini
mum under normal conditions. Indeed,
believe the only possible danger is from the
tramp dogs. and these such regulations will
never reach more effectively than does the
license law. l am satisfied grave constftu-
tionai objections exist to the present regu-
tested in our higher tribunals. Certainly
to comply with such requirement one IS
compelled to violate an older and better
statute, which forbids cruelty to animals"
DIR. Salmon's Investigation.
Dr. D. E. Salmon, chief of the division
of animal industry. Department of Agri-
culture is carefully watching the cases of
rabies in the District of Columbia and is
keeping a record which will show any in
crease or decrease of the disease. Since
last November. when rabies became preva-
lent. the disease, he says, has progressed
at about an even rate, showing practically
no change in the number of cases developed
from month to month. If any marked in
crease In the number should occur the De-
partment of Agriculture will doubtless take
prompt action to prevent any dogs in the
District from being taken across the Mary
land or Virginia state line.
Since last November" said DR.. Salmon
today. twenty-four persons have been bit
ten by mad dogs in the District of Column
bia. Three hers-chi!dren-have been bit
ten by dogs which are now being watched
for developments, and two of these dogs
are undoubtedly suffering from rabies All
of those persons have taken the Pasteur
treatment and none of them has developed
rabies. The only case of rabies developed
by a person in this section of the country
that has lately come to my attention is
that of a child who was bitten in Virginia
and was sent to Baltimore, where 1t was
tr...1 tod ONLY lnxr in1 1aff
the institute. A day or two afterward
hydrophobia was developed.
During April six dogs and one COW have
been proved to have had rabies in the Dis
trlct, and in May there were five cases of
dogs with rabies These are cases proved
to be of raj ies without any question. Moth
ing has been taken for granted in deter
mining whether rabies actually exists in
dogs sent here. So far in June we have
had three suspicious cases, two Of which
will undoubtedly be shown to be rabies and
the third is probably a case of that disease
Left to Commissioners
1.-THE department is leaving the work of
stamping out rabies in the District of Co
lumbia to the Commissioners said DIR.
Salmon. He suggested that the Depart
ment of Agriculture had a certain amount
of responsibility for stamping out the dis
ease here and said if rabies increases the
department will be justified in protecting
aHJ'iHihS states from ine contaSlon by
preventing the taking of any dogs into
them from the District. He doesn't re-
gard the muzzles that are in use in the
District as at all effective. The leather
strap about the jaws of dog. which. 1t is
stated. allows the animal to bite II It
wishes to- is looked upon as worse than
useless, for the reason that it is no protec-
ton to the people in the dog develops
abies, while it Is an annoyance to the dog
under any circumstances. The only muZ-
Zle that is regarded as effective is that
which is made of wire and allows the dog
perfect freedom behind it to pant or drink,
making it necessary to remove the incum-
brance only when the animal is fed.