New-York tribune., 1908-05-27
WORSE THAN RABIES.

A single death from hydrophobia last week
has caused profound sensation in this city, and
something like panic among the timid and
unthinking Most to the point, it has given I'M
net,Is to movement both official and unofficial,
toward the better enforcement Of the ordinances
relating to dogs, and toward diminuton of the
number of stray unhappy ours upon the city
streets which are homeless. OWnerleSs. hungry
and suffering always unCean in habits, fire.
uuentlr NANCY and flea ridden, and sometimes
rabid. With this movement we have already ex-
pressed Our entire sympathy. 1t is true that in
this country at least hydrophobia is one of the
rareSt of maladies But it is also one OF the
most distressing and most surely fatal Any
reasonable safeguards against the occurrence OF
even a single case are to be commended, while
as for dogs of the too numerous class which We
have described, the most enthusiastic lover of
the canine race must concede that they had bet
ter be dead
1t seems fitting, and at this season timely,
however, to invite earnest attention to another
scourge which in many respects so closely resem-
bles hydrophoba as often TO be mistaken for 1t,
which is more painful and only a little less
deadly than that dreaded destroyer, and which
in the extent of its ravages incomparaby ex-
ceeds it. We suppose that more people die of
tetanus in this country each year than have died
here of hydrophobla in all the years since the
republic vas founded, and of these the great
majority are victims Of what We might call
Fourth of July tetanus, directly induced by in
juries received on or about the Fourth of July
through the use of toy pistols and certain cheap,
noisy nasty and altogether offensive kinds Of
fireworks The death roll from such causes
which is published yearly as a ghastly pendant
TO the record of Independence Day rejoicings
and festivities is appalling. Contrasted with it
and Its significance of physical torture and loss
of human lives, this one report of death Iron
hydrophobia pales into insignfcance.
The subject is, as have suggested. partic-
uarIy timely just because there is still op-
portunity to prevent at le1st considerable part
of this yearly torment and slaughter. All over
the land there are to-day scores, perhaps hun
dreCls. of persons. chiefly children and youth
who are practically marked for massacre and
who. unless there is some merciful intervention
will in about six weeks from the present time
die in excruciating agony, the victims of an in
sensate orgy which its misguided perpetrators
supposedly regard as demonstration of patri-
otic fervor. At least. it is patriotism which
affords the preteXt for it. In fact. we suppose
that not one in ten of the victims has the slight
est conception of the patriotic significance of the
i'll spent day. In great majority Of cases, too.
the mischief is done through practices which are
in fragrant violation of the law Immeasurably
stronger than the demand for protection against
rabies should be the demand for decent enforce
ment of the law against this artificially induced
epidemic of tetanus and for a popular observ
ance of our chief national anniversary in man.
ner be1tting humane and enlightened people.