Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-05
HYDROPnOBIA REAL DISEASE
CONCLUSION REACHED BY GOV.
ERNMENT SCIENTISTS.
Experiments Made the Past Summer
at Bethesda Farm-Inocula-
ton Of Rabbits.

Hydrophobia is a real disease. germ gen.
Grated and infectious, despite all conten-
lions to the contrary. Such is the con-
clusion reached by the government scien-
lists at Bethesda farm. experiment sta
ton of the Department of Agriculture in
the suburbs of Washington, at which place
many strange experiments have been tried
during the past summer with the Idea Of
finally settling the much-mooted question.
In two instances mad dogs have been
killed In the neighborhOod In the very act
of terrorizing the community, and these.
together with the horses and cows which
they had bitten, have formed the basis
of the experiments. The stricken animals
have been retained at the farm, and the
development of rabies has been carefully
followed Aside from this microscopic ex-
aminations of the dead dogs have sue
cessfully isolated the germ which Is respon-
sible for the dread disease and this man
ner of test finally established. lnocula-
tons of rabbits have been made, and they
have developed the disease and become
rabid. preponderance of evidence has
been authoritatively piled up that finally
establishes the status of the disease.
Developed in Four Months.
A strong, healthy horse that had been In
detention for four months because of bite
from mad dog developed rabies in an
aggravated form last week and battered
himself to death against the walls Of his
stall. He was one of four animals belong
ing to J. Z. Austin of Bethesda bitten by
the same dog. A COW and horse died at
the end of twenty days. One horse is still
alive and apparently healthy, but in de-
tention. This case establishes the neces-
sity of OBTAINING animal for a greater
period than three months. whicfrs is the
time ordinarily set by veterinarians.
Aside from the microscopic examination
the government scientists have tested for
hydrophobia through the incubation Of
some animal with particle of the brain
of the creature affected. The operation
when thoroughly done is very delicate 1t
includes opening the brain of the animal
to be used in the experiment and the intro
duction of particle of the brain of the
| animal supposed to be affected. In the ex-
periments tried this summer rabbits have
been used altogether. When rabbit was
operated upon and inoculated second
rabbit was subjected to the same operation,
with the exception OF the incubation, in
order that 1t might at the same time be
demonstrated that the creatures subse-
quent actions were not due to the opera
ton itself.
Experiments Duplicated.
The experiments of this summer were
duplicated many times in order to develop
a multitude of testimony. In every case
the inoculated animal has developed
rabies and died, while the fellow in the ex-
pertinent has recovered and is healthy.
The last Of the series terminated a week
ago, resulting in the death of a dozen rab-
bits.
These experiments have been made by
the government because of a claim that has
been generally made during the past few
years to the effect that hydrophobia Is
purely an imaginary disease The conten-
ton has been that man bitten by a mad
dog and believing that horrible death
awaited him would lose his mind and be-
come what he believed he would. 1t was
further held that the majority of cases of
dogs supposed to be suffering from hydro
phobia were affected with sunstroke or
poisoning.
The scientists now. having positively re-
corded cases Of the development of rabies
in healthy horses. having Isolated the germ
that causes the disease and having trans
ferred that disease In a great number OF
cases to other animals, believe they have
established beyond any doubt the fact that
the old fashioned idea of hydrophobia is
correct, and that the fear of dog days Is
entirely justified. AS sole remedy they
recommend the suppression of the dog