New-York tribune., 1903-03-26
SELECTIONS FROM THE NAIL
The muzzLINo OF DOGS.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sfr: You are mistaken In your editorial TINS
morning in saying that the dogs in England are
obliged to be muExIed. In London the dogs are
licensed, not musxied and there II q law prohibit
ing the importation of dogs unless they are suOJec
TO quarantine.
A general order for the muEzling Of dogs would
never prevent hydrophobia supposing such dis
esse to really exist Vagrant ours are those 10
whom hydrophobia is generally supposed 10 DC
traced, and 1t is manfestly impossible to muzZIe
eT Izs ri Re Is asscEed IN and bitten
yagrsnt having we will say the feii olseas eSss afteT
the muzzIe is removed A more rational preventive
than muzxling must De Invented. A. L. L.
If The Tribune's correspondent will freshly
examine the article which she criticises she Will
perceive that 1t does not assert that all dogs are
mUzzled at all times in England All that is
stated Is that the power to compel the use OF
muzzles there resides in central national ao-
thority (the Board of Agriculture) and is exer-
cised with vigor which has resulted In ex-
terminating rabies. In f'The New-York Medical
Record for November g. 1901, DIR. D. E.
Salmon, chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry.
United States Department of Agriculture, dis
cusses the matter at great length IT is from
that trustworthy source that the following racts
are derived.
Owing to a then recent increase in the num-
Der Of cases of rabies (in dogs, the FrlVy Couil
ell issued q strict muzzing order in 1889, In
which year 312 cases were reported in the whole
country, and 176 in the city Of London and the
Immediately adjacent counties. BY 'lo9- the
number had been reduced in the latter district
to three and in the whole country to thirty
eight At that time the execution OF the regula-
ton depended upon the local autnorlties' anu
these soon grew careless. By 1885 there were
672 cases The Board of Agriculture to "hlch
the powers OF the Privy Council had been trans
ferred, then adopted new policy. 1t ceased 10
rely on the local authorities. and appointed 1Is
own inspectors to visit every part OF the couh-
try where an alleged case was reported, to IN
yestfsate the matter carefully to impose muz-
cling orders temporarily and to fix the limits
of each district for which these were issued
DR.. Salmon adds:
Now we will see the result Of these thorough
measures Starting with 43S cases in 1896. the
number was reduced to 151 in 1897, II in lSSS;
g in 1899 and to in 1900. In the year 1917
there was not found single rabid dog IN bds-
land Scotland the six cases reported id ',s h
developed in South Wales, a. district which' pE
reason of its mountainous nature, renuers =
difficult to enforce q rnuLzling regulatlohr anu
where dogs affected with rabies may easily wall
der from their homes and Ole In Some Feilio'0
place without recognition
A part of the programme OF the Boaro ol
Agriculture was to induce the local autnofiles
TO shoot all ownerIess dogs. Were such course
adopted in this country it would be Impossible
for a u1uzzIed pet to be attacked by a vagrant.
There would be no vag-ants to endanger eltner
their aristocratic canine relatives or human