Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-30
AUTO RACER MANGLEO RABIES AND MUZzLES
Speeding Fast Wheel Breaks District Commissioners Favor
Driver Hurled to Death the determination Plan.
CEDRINO Is THE VICTIM EXTRA LOT OF POUND MEN
Trying Record us Hydrophoba Reality
Pmlico Track ination e Asks Humanitarian.
c.p rupue TN TUT ARD MANY DOGS ARE DISPOSED OF
views " 1aeain on WOODWARD
IS Driving Machine "Ao A'ei' u nu"ane society
in Fifty =" 1e''nen' SUBJECT
District Commissioners Favor
the determination Plan.
EXTRA LOT OF POUND MEN
us Hydrophobia a Reality OF Imag-
ination?' Asks Humanitarian.
MANY DOGS ARE DISPOSED OF
Views Of Health Officer Woodward
and Members of Humane Society
on Pertinent Subject.

| Despite the fact that the District Com
| misSioners are i'm receipt of q petition
| from the Veterinary Association of the
| District of Columbia requesting the COM
| pulsory muzzling of all dogs In this city
| for twelve months. and the fact that sim
| liar requests and suggestions have been
| received by them from individuals from
| time to time within the past four or five
| months. the members of the board are
adverse in their opinions regarding muZ-
| zling.
They contend that such an action would
not bring about the desired results, and
that the only way of handling the aues-
| ton is they are doing now-diligently
| impounding all tasless dogs found on the
streets, or dogs that give evidences of
being a danger to the community. For
| more than a month an extra wagon and
extra laborers have been used in the
dog pound service. and the Commission
ers believe this form of activity will serve
| the purpose. DIR. William c. Woodward,
health officer of the District, who has SUI
pervston of the dog pound service. is of
the same opinion as the Commissioners
| The records of the health Office show
| that since the inauguration of the addi-
| tional dog pound wagon an average OF
| Since the beginning of the current year
2.3N dogs have been mpounded. 314 were
reclaimed, 1.92S were put to death and 40
| were sold Since the first day of May go
dogs have been impounded and $40 put
| to death.
Says Muzzling Is Inhuman.
Commissioner Macfarland is of the opin-
| ion that muzzling dogs is inhuman, aside
| from the fact that it is not effective. He
| also is of the opinion that rabies is a
rare disease, and that most of the re-
| cent reports of mad dogs are without
foundation. Many people mistake a dog
suffering from the heat for rabies. it was
! explained.
c. A. Snow. president of the Humane
Society. who was seen at his Office this
| morning. said he has been deeply interest
| ed in this subject for some time and has
| read a great deal about 1t.
Il cannot close my eyes to the fact that
| there is such thing rabies and that
| hydrophobia is a reality" he admitted
| II am not a scientist. but eminent sci
| entists have declared the facts and am
| not disposed to deny them. | have dog.
| and do not want TO see him muzzled ,
yet If scientists and those who have made
study of the subject and ought TO know
| declare that these terrible diseases can
| be stamped out by muZZling all the dogs
| for twelve months. let us muzzle the
dogs. l would far rather muzzle my dog
than have "a child injured through him.
| Mr.. Snow added that there is difference
| of opinion among the Humane Society
| members upon this subject. and for that
| reason he did not wish to go much into
| the matter for publication: but it is clear
| that he takes the view that it is more
| humane to protect human beings than
| run any risk with dogs
| Mrs. Mary Howe ,rotten a member of
| the board of the same society. when asked
| for her views upon the subject of muZ-
Il dogs. n
| quiry:
DO you know rabies or hydrophobia ?
Have you ever seen case? Do you know
| any person who haS?'
1 Mrs. Totten feels that the terrible dis
] ease of hydrophoba is a myth. utterly
| unfounded. and tina, muzzlng the dogs is
| not going to stamp ii out
I'VE have dogs. she said at our
| country place Indeed my son is dog
| fancier and raises Great Danes and We
have never known a case of rabies or seen
| a case of hydrophobia. nor have we ever
met any one who has.
Great Dane as Object Lesson.
Look at this great fine fellow here
she said. pointing to a magnificent Great
| Dane that had accompanied her into the
| room. He is perfectly healthy. Why
should We mazze him. Would you muz-
zle a dog who hasn't rabies? What's the
use of it? And if he has rabies. what S
y.
put him out of the way.
Continuing. Mrs Totten said she had
talked with "A. number of scientific people
upon the subject of hydrophoba and
found that there wide divergence
of opinion among them. Many, she said
strongly contend that such d disease ex-
lists, others contend with equal force that
1t doesn't. An eminent and elderly phys-
elan in Chicago had told her that he Had
never met with case in all his experience
and he had never met any one who had.
AT another time. she said. Il was
| present when a number of veterinary
| surgeons were being heard upon this very
| subject and l was amazed at the statis-
tics they produced. yet not one of them
would admit that he had ever encounter
ed a case of hydrophobia or knew any
one who had
The dread disease is to my mind a
great deal like the serpent. There
may be a sea serpent. but before ! be
lieve il | want either to see it or to meet
some one who has These scientific gen.
tlemen are doubtless actuated by n COM
| mendable motive. but their Investigations
are pursued with the object of finding
the disease not of ascertainins whether
or not it actually exists Their minds are
| much influenced by imagination and sug-
gestion.
| The general trend of discussion on the
| street-and there is much discussion of
the SUBJECTS that it is best TO take no
chances when there is even a doubt upon
the subject. One citizen suggested that
pans of cold water set out where thirsty
dogs could get drink when they wanted
1t would remove many mad dogs from
| the columns of the statistics and tend TO
ease the public mind more than all the
muzzles that for sale.
In the meanwhile the poundmaster is
busy and untagged dogs are in danger
of d quick demise. whether they have
rabies not
MTv IT'D nN THE OWED