New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
RABIES AND MUZZLES.
Duties Of the s. P. c. A.-Percent
age of Hydrophobia Cases.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor or Inc
Sir: 'Hydrophoba is rare disease. ana hol
one dog in fifty of called rabid is really So
else there would be more deaths from hyaro-
phobia, when so many persons nave oeen o'teh OS
them" This in substance is what has been de-
clared frequently by those who are opposed 10 the
muzzling of dogs and the destruction OF stray
ownerless curs but the statement is misleading
and unwarraned.
OF nInety-nine dogs examined at the Chicago
city laboratory it was found that eighty-seVeh
were rabid. OF sixty-three examined oy the
United States bureau of animal industry WASH
ington fcrty-seven were found to be genuine
cases of rabies beyond any question. ana thlrty-
nine others showed such characteristic evidence
of the disease that it was not considered neces
sary to make examination OF tneHl- AT the
Pasteur Institute in Chicago. well as in New
York; Baltimore and other places, examinations
have also shown that very large proportion or
the dogs examined had rabies.
Since the discovery of the Negn bodies-so
named after the Italian scientist who first OBJ
served that they always present in the brain
cells and spinal marrow of rabid dogs and OF
persons who died from hydrophobia, but never
in healthy animals or In cases of other diseases
It has been possible to determine promptly and
positively in nearly every instance by an exam
ination whether rabies the ailment, without
waiting for a test by incubation of rabbits
ether animals as formerly. The dogs referred to
above examined because they lad bitten
person, and II was important to know the
real condition of the dog. so that the victim
might at once take Pasteur treatment IL the dog
rabid. The result thoroughly disproves the
random, reckless statement above quoted regard
ing the scarcity rabd dogs 1t ques-
ton OF unsupported opinion, but of demon
strated fact convincing every person.
Who of the skeptics disputing the existence OF
rabies If bitten by dog that showed the pres
ence of Negri bodies. would be willing foreso
securing Pasteur treatment, either for himself
for of his family, the very slim chance
that hydrOphobia might not develop. for some
reason-for example, that. the dog biting through
thick clothing. the teeth might possibly be sufn-
ciently cleaned of saliva to prevent incubation?
Where is the mother who would take that chance
for her child against horrible death from hydro
phobla?
Under Pasteur treatment the percentage of
fatalities is less than but before the discovery
of the remedy the percentage of deaths
high 50 of the persons bitten. Certainly the
real character of the disease is not changed in the
least by the fact that treatment by the Pasteur
system is so universally successful-with
ceptions for some reason not always expainable.
generally delay in securing 1t promptly-and were
1t for this remedy prevent a fatal result the
deaths would bear the same proportion as
before TO the number of persons bitten That would
then preclude. it manifestly should now the
argument that the comparatively small number
who sueeumb to the disease is sufficient reason
why dogs should not be nauzzled
DR.. q. c. Schroeder, a finely educated man CON
sdered of the best informed men in the United
states regarding hydrophObla, is superintendent of
the government experiment station Bethesda.
Md He is the author of the pamphlet Some OBJ
servatiens Rabies which will be sent free on
application TO the chief of the bureau Of animal
industry, Washington. In that he describes from
personal observation the progress rabies in do
mestic animals until death ensued. Referring to
the subject of the foregoing. he writes Your ar
ticle in which you point out that the infreauency
with which rabies occurs among persons due TO
the efficacy of Pasteur preventive treatment and
not to an in Of z rhad
1icted by rabid dogs. / regard as especially strong
and timely.
Il wonder sometimes why the idea does not occur
to those whose excessive love for dogs prompts
them to demand more liberty for dogs than We give
other species Of lower animals. that the almost
universal dread of dog bites is alone sufficient ar
gument to justify the determination of every dog
that is permitted to run, unmuzzled. public
places. We must deal with human nature as il is
and not as would have it,.
DR.. Schroeder's letter will be of special interest
just when IN many places city officials are
determined to public safety by requiring
dogs to be muzzed when at large and by DESTROY
ing all not made harmless by this means The
notable instance New York CITY where
there has been dog muzzlins law for some time
but which has not been properly enforced by the
Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty TO Animals
in whose. hands the work was placed,
Chicago Aug. s. 1905 S G. BRABROOK
Though in accord with most of our corre-
spondents opinions, we think he errs in believ-
ing that the duty of enforcing the muzzing or
dinance was ever imposed the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. BY its char
ter Ga piece of state legslaton) the organization
Is authorized to collect tax from dog owners
in New York City and is privileged to put 10
death such animals as bear no evidence of hav-
ing been licensed. Most of the dog catching here
has been conducted on that basis The muzzling
ordinance is independent piece of legislation
municipal in origin). but no provision for ex-
ecuting II was ever made until this year In
asmuch as the officers of the society founded
by Henry Hergh have been skepticai about the