The Greeley tribune., 1908-12-09
A FEW NEW FACTS
ABOUT MAD DOGS
10 NOT KILL ANIMAL AT ONCE
just ~ Much Madness In Winter ~
In Summer.

just ~ Much Madness in Winter - |
In Summer.
There are a great many prevailing
Ideas relative to mad dogs that are
erroneous.
In the first place, rabies 10 not
the extremely rare disease that 1t
is generally supposed to be. Facts
gathered by the bureau OF animal in
dustry shows that 1t exists and has
existed for years at the national cap
ital and throughout the United
States. oficial reports show its ex-
istence but by no means 1t frequency.
Rabies is good deal like other
diseases, in that 1t does not always
manifest itself by the same chain Of
symptoms. For example; a dog suf-
fering from this disease is by no
means always mad and furious.
Flemming has we'll said that 1t is
great and dangerous error to sup
pose that the disease commences
with signs Of madness and that the
earliest phase Of the malady 10 ush-
cred in with fury and destruction.
The symptoms appear very gradu-
ally. and at first one would hardly
suspect brain disease. Difficulty in
swallowing is an early symptom, and
frequently leads the owner to sup
pose that the dog has bone in its
throat. DR.. Salmon says: IA dog
which appears to have a bone in its
throat. is on general principles, one
of the most dangerous animals in ex-
istence. The supposed bone may be
there, but on the other hand the
symptoms which lead to this suppo-
sition may be due to partial paral-
ysis, caused by rabies. and the own
er may be inoculated with the viru-
lent saliva while thrusting his fin
gers or hand into the dogs moth to
discover q bone which has no exist
ence but In his Imagination"
1t is commonly believed that ami
mails suffering from this disease do
not drink water (hydrophobia. dread
of water), which is a mistake. They
have no fear or dread OF water, but
continue to drink as long as they
live. and the fact that suspected
dog is seen to drink or wade In
water is no proof that he is not mad
The dumb form of rabies is very
common, and many know it as drop
jaw who have no idea of its true ma
ture; and yet, should one of thes'
dogs bite person. or some of tn
saliva get into a wound on the hand
or elsewhere. 1t could produce tn
disease and death with all its hor
ror.
There is an erroneous and rathe
stupid belief that If a dog bites
person and afterwards contracts th'
disease, that the person bitten wi!
also go mad; but there is no grount
for 1t whatever. and in this connec
tion l would most earnestly sugges
that when a person is bitten by {
QOS tHdt IL 10 Odu loIiSy W uoNS th'
dog killed. Confine him, and II hi
has rabies he will die in few days
but II he does not die. the persoi
may know that he or she is safe. il
en- the other hand, he does die, NJ
time should be lost in consulting
physician. IT, indeed. one has moi
already been consulted, who will ai
wise no delay in reaching a Pasteu'
Institute. and attend to the direct
treatment OF the wound. Inasmuct
as the death OF the dog is no proc
that 1t was caused by rabies. 1t Ii
always we'll. In fact, imperative, te
place the cadaver on ice and ship II
to your experiment station for eN'
animation and diagnosis.
There is a prevailing idea that has
been handed down to us from our
rorefathers, that dogs only go mad
during dog days--July and August
hut the facts show that Just as
many dogs go mad at one time OF
the year as another. II anything.
more dogs go mad in winter than IN
summer. NJ. Culver. II.
ID. c.. Colorado Agricultural college,