The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-05-20
FEAR OF RABIES.
ALMOST AN UNKNOWN THING
FOR HYDROPHOBIA
To Seize Those Who Constantly Have
to Do With Dangerous Dogs-It Is
Rarely Found in Constantinople
Yet Savage Ours Abound

The following excerpt from the Ami
NAL Defender, published monthly in
Boston, Mass, by the New England
Anti Vivisection Society, may be perused
with general interest:
Fear of Rabies-If a dog becomes
frightened and starts to run, the chances
of living are all up with him, apparently,
in New York City today. Instead of try
ing to- catch the dog, which it seems
might be done by lassoing, and convey
ing him to safe, quiet place, where in
many cases he would quickly recover, he
is simply bounded and fou1ly butchered,
and all because of the peoples fear of
the consequences of a dogs bite. That
this fear is well-nigh groundless there
is abundant testimony The men, for ex-
ample, connected with the pound" of
any large city, who handle many hun
dreds of dogs annually, say they are
constantly bitten but no trouble arises
because of the lack of fear. These scenes
are SO brutal, providing, an object les
son, which, in the heart of a great city,
materially retards the advance of hu-
name education, it would seem the law
should put a stop to them. But there is
so very much besides for the law to do
that we must wait perhaps for this. The
killing. unless it can be done quickly
md decently by shooting, never by club
bing, should not be done in the public
street-or anywhere else.
Hydrophobia pro and con--Dr. Chas.
w. Dulles of the University of Penn
sylvania, who for twenty years has made
hydrophobia the object Of unremitting
study, has come to believe, according to
the. Herald, April II, that the common
fear of dog bites is utterly unreasonable,
and that the unfortunate results are
largely due to fear, and not to the bite.
He. says: It is almost an unknown
thing for hydrophobia to seize those
who have constantly to do with what
would be supposed to be the most dam
gerous dogs. Il is rarely found in Con-
stantinople, where dogs, uncared for,
neglected, and savage, are SO numerous.
have found no persons more impressed
with the imagined dangers of so-called
hydrophobia than physicians, who, as a
class, know no more about the disorder
than the laity, and equally little how to
treat it. Cauterization with nitrate of
silver. used by many as preventive
measure is absolutely pernicious, and
the conditions of maniaca1 excitement,
which may be taken for manifestation
Of the disease, DIR. Dulles believes to be
attributable to the powerful drugs often
administered. The Pasteur treatment,
which he has fully. investigated and dis
eussed before medical societies, he pro-,
nounces not only useless, but absolutely
harmful.
We hear that every dog license issued
in Boston has on the back minute direc-
tions as to the danger of the disease and
the extreme care needed to prevent it.
This we believe to be a great mistake,
only serving to intensity peoples super
stitious horror and dread of a disease
which, according to the authority quoted
above, and others equally eminent, is so
rare as to be practically non-existent,
and which is not as dangerous as teeth
ing and measles.