Evening star., 1901-03-01
Dread Disease Continues to Develop
in the District.
REVIEWED In DR.. SALM]N'S REPORT
Suggests Establishment of Insttu-
ton for Treatment of the Bitten.
TOMS OF NIALADY

ID. f. Salmon, chief of the bureau of ami
NAL industry. Department of Agriculture.
in a report which he recently transmitted
to Congress calls attention to the increase
in the number of rab.d dogs discovered N
the District of Columbia and observes that
the continued prevalence OF this terrible
and fatal disease at the seat of the federal
government is a serious cond ton and one
which demands earnest cons. .degation.'
The following statistics concerning rabies
In the District presented in the report:
'In previous years the number brought to
the attention OF this bureau was as 70 lows
In 1893, IL 1895. =; 1896, 81 1897, 3: 1858, a.;
1899. January l to June 30, 4. For the fis-
cal year ending June 30 1900. the number
of cases was: August, 1; October, 2: No
vember, .; December, :; January, 5; Febru-
ary &; March. 4; April. 6: May. &; June. 3:
total ~. In addition, cows. l cat and
horse were tested and found TO have died OF
rabies. Four men and IL children were
bitten
In discussing the cause of rab.es and
means of prevention the report rec-tes that
rabies is a disease which only originates
from contagion; in the vast majority of
cases it is caused by the BITE of rabid
dog. If when an outbreak occurs dogs are
kept securely isolated properly muz-
zled for sufficient time to cover the pc
rod of incubation the disease is cas- ly
stamped out. Ii seems ineXCuSable, there
fore, to allow the COntag.on to be prOpa-
gated indefinitely, causing untold suffering
TO the affected animals and menac:ng the
lives of persons, particularly children. who
go upon the streets.
RABIES is worthy of the attention of the
federal authorities, not only because 1t has
been frequent at the seat of govern
ment. where federal laws alone apply, but
because rabd dogs are liable to be conveyed
TO cross into the states of Maryland or
Virginia. thus carrying the contagion."
DR.. Salmon refers to section of the act
of Congress approved May ~. 1884, which
makes ii the duty of the Commissioners of
the District of Columbia, whenever any
contagious, infectious or communicable dis
ease affecting domestic animals shall be
brought into or shall break into the Dis
trict, TO take measures to suppress the
same promptly and to report to the Secre-
tary of Agriculture. In this connection DR..
Salmon says:
The Commissioners of the District
dered the muzzling of dogs for a time.
There was increased activity on the part
of the authorities in catching and Destroy
ing unlicensed dogs, which unquestionably
had considerable effect in limiting the ex-
tension of the cOntagiOn. New cases of the
disease. however, continue to develop. and
the contagiOn still exists, menacing human
life and threatening the animals of the Dis
trict and of surrounding safes
LAS rabies is a disease which can be best
controlled by local authorities, since such
authorities already have the machinery for
seizing dogs and for properly disposing of
them il has not been deemed advisable for
the bureau to take any active steps IOr the
suppression of this outbreak. Nevertheless, 1t
Is plain that unless the disease soon dis
appears of itself ii will be the duty of the
bureau to take adequate steps to protect
the several states from the contagion which
Is being haIbOIed In the District. There
have been cases of rabies already reported
just beyond the District boundary, which
presumably were due to extension of the
contagion from the District.
Pasteur Treatment Expensive.
''The number of children bitten by rabid
animals is sufficient to excite the fears of
all parents, and should be an adequate rea-
son for the most stringent measures of
eradication. 1t is fortunate that the Pas
teur treatment has been available and that
nearly or quite all of the bitten persons
have taken II, otherwise 1T is likely that in
this number there would have been several
deaths. This treatment, however, is ex-
pensive, 1t Is painful. 1t requires time and
IL is not infalible, although ii has reduced
the deaths among bitten persons to O.5 per
cent, or 1 in 2oO. The children bitten have
usually been those of people in moderate |
circumstances and the cost of treatment
has been a serious burden and hardship
to them.
"A disease of this nature is one from
which the people rightfuly expect protec- |
tion from their government. 1t is danger |
which they cannot avoid by individual ef |
fort 1t menaces their most cherished pos |
sessions-their children. 1t is a disease SO |
terrible IN Its manifestations, so frightful |
in the suffering which IL causes. that no |
child should be unnecessarily exposed to it, |
and no parent should be placed In the posi- |
tion of seeing his child die in agonies that |
would haunt his memory for all time.
'In view of the practically continuous ex- |
istenCe of the rabies contagion in the Dis |
trict of Columbia for the past three years. |
/ would recommend either that Congress |
authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to |
pay out of the appropriation for the bureau
of animal industry for the treatment of |
bitten children whose parents would be |
burdened by such expense. or that the sur
geon general of the army or the marine
hospital service be directed to establish an
institution for such treatment and to ad- |
minister the same without charge"
Examinations are in progress at the labO-
ratory of the bureau of animal industry
upon the bodies of several dogs suspected Of |
having been afflicted with rabies. DR.. Sal
mon week ago received a specimen of the
brain of a man who, it is believed. died 1T
Rochester, ". Y, of rabies Several rabbits
and guinea pigs have been inoculated with
this matter. but results not yet due 1t
requiring from two to three weeks for tn.
small animals mentioned TO develop symp
toms Of rabies.
Symptoms In Man.
The symptoms of rabies as given in A re-
port on that subject prepared by the Medl-
cal Society of the District of Columbia are:
First, the prodromal symptoms.
Second. the furious symptoms, or those
of the attack proper.