The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-01
'.MAD Dog A SILLY CRY.
Rabies a Disease That Doctors Class
as a Curiosity.
Chicago Inter ocean,

Chicago Inter ocean,
Mad dogl"
Women and children, and even men,
took to their heels one day last week
in Michigan avenue when someone
shouted;
Mad dog"
The cur was fOaming at the mouth.
His eyes bulged, he whined, and as he
ran in a circle. he tried to bite his tail.
mounted policeman shot the dog
dead.
The dog was cruelty wronged. 1t was
nothing but a case of epileptic fit. TO
which dogs are subject in hot weather.
In the last five years no case of
rabies has been noted by the officers
of the Illinois Humane society, and last
summer, particularly hot one, more
! than 5000 dogs came under their OBJ
serTatiOn in the dog pound in Central
Park avenue. Most of these dogs had
exhibited signs of what is popularity
termed Madness but not one had by
drOphobia.
When you hear the cry of mad dog
do not run. This is the advice OF John
G ShortaH, president Of the Humane
society.
Throw a bucket Of water at a dog
which is supposed to be mad and in
/ few moments he viii recover from his
attack of epilepsy and will trOt off
serenely," said Mr.. ShOrtall. 1t is a
great cruelty to kill a dog in this con-
ditiOn- A cOol-headed man could set
l tie the matter in a few moments by
subduing first the emotional excite
/ ment of spectators.
I am advocating the use Of large
/ nets for the capture of sick dogs, to be
placed in every police station These
| nets would be especially useful in the
I ON. r7r,1 elm n fri. Of GT
| where the epiIeptic dog is most pre-
valent, and where his presence creates
! the widest kind of terror and excite
/ ment. An ignorant man or woman,
1 bitten by an epileptic dog. is generally
| so frightened that ne or she will even
/ tually work into such a fever Of men
/ tai suffering that some of the symptoms
/ Of rabies will be exhibited, when in
/ almost every case no poison whatever
/ has been introduced into the system.
/ Let the excited dog alone. He is
| harmless. Reports of the Royal HUI
name society of London show not a
/ case of hydrophobia in years. There
/ have been none in Chicago. These
| scare stories of rabies are entirely I'M
! founded. A genuine case of hydrOphobia
! is so rare that it is curiosity
A genuinely mad dog will not bite.
That is. he is too much absorbed in his
own suffering even to take heed of his
I tormentors. The officers of the HUI
! name society have lately been making
! a thorough scientific study of the symp-
| toms and progress of rabies. These
men, as well as physicians and all med
! zeal authorities, laugh to scorn the flag
/ rant cOwardice Of the public and the
/ silly precautions taken when confront
/ ed by a sO-calied mad dog If a man is
( bitten by a dog which he suppOses Is
/ mad doctors now simply advise a hOJ
/ vapOr bath. The bite possibly may
J have introduced some poison into the
/ system. The abundant perspiratiOn
/ from the bath will carry off all of this
Then, if the patient has the nOnchal-
! ance to forget the occurrence, he is in
/ variably safe.
! It is a common mistake that a mad
dog froths al the mouth. If a dog car
fToth at the mouth he is not mad. There
is only one sure sign of madness, and
that is the presence Of a thick, coarse
Z stringy. brown mucus clinging to the
lips. 1t is so troublesome to the doc
that he spends ali his time vatnly
struggling to wipe it off. Moreover.
mad dog does not avoid water His
anxiety to get water is so great thai
when he finally succeeds, he plUnges in
A mad dog never runs or howls- He Is
never agitated. He viii prefer to be
alone If approached. he may snaTl (
little but will not bite. He invariably
turns away to resume his journey t.
death
When a mad dog does utter a SOUND
if is a hoarse. strident howl more help