The sun., 1908-07-15
sKEPrIcAL ABOUT RABrrs
A TOwnsman OF Al watts Suggests sootb,
ing Methods for Dog Bitten PntIenta

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir; Asr
CARDS the alleged prevalence of hydro phobi.
we In Boston have the experience OF DR. Al
bert Watts, a veterinary, at the head OF on,
dog pound department for fifteen years Dr.
Watts has always 8toutly maintained ana
does to-day that there In no such disease in
the sense In which It ia being exploited Va
has had to do with dogs Of all sorts and specIes
and has been bitten many times by so-called
rabid dogs. Hid never lost an opportunity
of hunting up hny case Of rabies reported
and II always proved to be the case OF n sicr
or terribly frightened dog. He found that
his petting. soothing treatment worked yerv
satisfactorily.
Mrs. Huntington Smith. the tireless friend
Of dumb animals and chief OF the Animal Res.
cue League here. corroborates the evideno.
or DR.. Watts. as does also Mr.. Angel Of "Onr
Dumb Animals. II understand his position
In the matter.
Most medical men to-day are agreed ns IN
the potency Of suggestion. and are inclined
to add psychotherapy to their armamen.
tarium but In EMPLOYING 1t In way to frighten
our 81 .OOo, 900 OF people out Of their wits as
Myopia Club kennel. dogs ali sound a nd dds kind,
they are, as " seems to me. enga ged in a very
wretched and mischievous business
Mrs. White relates an instance OF two chill.
dren bitten by dog. and although no symp-
toms Of disease deyeloped the father OF one
"a ,nt tOOh the Two 70 Ine PdStpur
Institute for treatment. He returned homs
IN two weeks with the children desperately
II; the boy died And then. she tells US, the
treatment sent word to the little girls mother
that she had better try, soothing methods.
as II would tend TO quiet her little girls fear.
to do with IT," The advice was taken. and
the child fully recovered, My own version
Of io the IN matter t Is that the children were made
the other other not; though ] am free to, admit
and soothe the little girls mind and dissipate
In experiments on animals Injecting all
kinds Of cultures directly into, the circulation
produces more or less disturbance in some
death; Even when the fluid used is the
puas purest Of human saliva i Invariably causes
proved fatal. 1t Is therefore not strange that
the saliva Of even the healthiest dog hat has
been badgered until he is angry enough to
prove fatal. especially Il the victim II Is badly
frightened and has been kept under the in
huenoe OF morphine: 1t has been stated
Pasteur only four proved pr we'd fatal @ teH but to ms "a
mind this doesn't prove that two bites are
better than one-for that Ia about the size Of
with the inoculations that have died. though
other persons bitten by the same dog and
not treated have continued to live and thrive
Saliva as secreted in the mouth OF dog or
man Is powerful germicide, and IA every
body. knows. a healing application, as witness
the dogs method of healing his own wounds:
The gastric juice is one Of the most powerful
germicides known. hence moderate amounts
OF poisonous substances. as various drugs
used In medicine. vaccine virus, and various
serums, anti tox in, and even the Pasteur
serum. may be taken into the stomach with
out doing very much harm but, as we have
seen. any foreign substance injected directly
into the circulation is especially mischievous
and always dangerous
AS for the disease itself, any physician who
has had an extended experience. especially
in hospital practice, will bear me out in stating
that typhoid fever patients have been known
to manifest symptoms precisely like those
of alleged hydrophobia. IL seems to me that
great deal of unnecessary. alarm has been
caused and really great distress In many
quarters by the needless scares about rabies.
IL would be a mercy to the public to set 1t
right in this matter.
As for mortality statistics, there are many
chances for errors, and especially as to re-
ported deaths from hydrophobia since phys-
clans who believe in" the disease would be
pretty certain to attribute any death follow
ing convulsive symptoms to hydrophobia
II there had been a history of dog bite though
years had interviewed between the accident
and the illness. CHARLES E. PAGE.
Ia l.,