The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-03
DOG FANC|ER DENIES
THAT RABIES EXIST.
AsCRIBEs MAD DOG SCARE TO
IGNORANCE.
j. II. Horton Has Raised and Handled
Domestic Pets All His Life and Has
Never Seen Genuine Case of Hydro
phobia in Beast or Some Med
ical Records.

"There is not and has not been a
genuine case of rabies in. Minneapolis
this spring. This foolish mad dog
scare is entirely the result Of the work
of officials who are either looking to
make political capital or are unin-
formed, and the reports contained in
our local papers. - 81,
Z This statement was made today by
J. II. Horton, a dog fancier who lives
at 4048 Bryant avenue N, and who has
raised and studied dogs for the last
twenty years. Mr.. Horton has now
thirty dogs in his kennels, and states
that in the past decade he. has handled
and raised $500 dogs.
" Willing to Bet.
ri am SO sure that there is not a
case Of rabies in Minneapolis con-
tinued Mr.. Horton '1that I will post
a bet of $40 that not one can be pro-
| duced. I will furthermore bear all the
expenses of making the tests by in
noculating rabbits, and this can be
done at my place in North Minneapo-
|. lis. In my twenty years experience
with thousands Of dogs [ have yet to
see my first case of rabies, and | am
sure that not one case of death by
I county in the last half century. The
dogs that people believe are mad are
mostly ours about town that, after
going several days without food, find
a pail of meat and gorge themselves
| with it, The results are the same as
they would be in human beings. Com
plications arise, fever sets IN, and the
dog becomes delirious and acts strange:
". People think he has gone mad and
bite anyone at all nervous, it is all over
with the dog, and the person bitten
thinks it is a miracle if he RECEIVERS.
Knows Of No Case. ~
"This mad dog scare comes every 80
often, and it results in the death OF
many dogs, who only need little care
and in all sorts of excitement and nerv
BUSINESS that is inexcusable in the light
eral times by dogs that have been
called mad, and I am still doing bust
/ ness. I have yet to- see my first case
Of rabies, and l have been looking fol
1 one for years.
Mr.. Horton is borne out by statistics
| from various parts Of the country. A
! pamphlet has been prepared by people
! interested in Humane society work anc
/ hasa been circulated thru the country
In this pamphlet there are quotation,
and letters from some Of the. best
known doctors and veterinarians Of tn,
country, and they all bear witness tt
the remarkable rarity Of rabies an(
| hydrophobia A sample of the stats
ties contained in this pamphlet is a
follows: -. ...,:.-. - 80 A..
1 The record of the London hospital Z
j few years ago showed 1858 persons bit
4 ten by angry dogs. None of them de
1 veloped hydrophobias st. Georges hos
4 pital, London, records 1900 patient
4 bitten by dogs supposed. to have beel
i mad. No case Of hydrophobia. Y i. =E
4 In the record of all the" disease
which. have. occurred at the Pennsyl
y vania hospital in 140 years, only tw
4 cases which were supposed to be by
i drophobia have occurred. One of these
i however, the only one submitted t
8 archaeological test, did not confirr
q the diagnosis Of "hydrophobia, = an
!. the municipal authorities refused to &C
cept the death as one from that dis
I. ease. - ~, e.-..... .-ye'- + ~ -
s Finally. DR.. Charles w. Dulles, LEI
turer on the history Of medicine at tn
4 University of Pennsylvania, who ha
had the honor of being repeatedly az
pointed by the medical ocieties Of b
state to investigate rabies, and ha
read various papers on the subject BIZ
fore the American Medical association
the College Of Physicians of Philade
!. phia, the Philadelphia County Medies
|. society, the Medical Society Of Penn
!. sylvania, the Medico-L Legal society q
I New York, and has correspondent on tn
subject with most of the distin guishe
medical men of Europe, q physical
familiar both with the literature q
s rabies, the history Of Pasteur and til
: institutions called by his name, an
+ who in addition has performed the a
most incredible task Of investigator
either personally or by correspondent
! with the physicians or others in atten,
ance, every case reported in the new
papers Of the United States for tt
: last sixteen years, believes that hydr
!, phobia is extremely rare. having, aft,
!, sixteen years Of investigation, faile
!. to find single case on record that ca
be conclusively proved to have resulte
z from tho .hita Of q dno =. .-.---