The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-03-04
HYDROPHOBIA is
EXTREMELY RARE
Reader Cites Authorities on I'M
portant Subject
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS HERE
Reader Says He Sees Them Caught
With Wire Loops and Dragged
Almost Unconscious to
Dog Wagons.
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS HERE

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
Would you please allow me to take
umbrage to the method employed by this
city to catch dogs? I saw the scene en-
acted yesterday and can imagine nothing
more cruel. A colored boy entered a yard
having a long stick on the end of which
was attached a wire loop. This he placed
over the dogs head, causing strangula-
ton. Dragging the suffering brute about
a hundred yards he made sure that life
was we'll nigh extinct before he attempt
ed to place the animal In the wagon
box with no aperture save few lat
would be as Jealous to stop this hru-
tality as he apparently is for the COM
mon veal more good would result. If
dogs must be caught let the city adopt
some humane way. Why not have nets
as they do In all cities? The humane
officer, Mr. Bonnie, should insist on this
and spare the women and children.
Most people think the mayors procla-
nation too severe and l am of the same
opinion. Sixty days ID too Ion gto anay
the false terrors of the hydrophobia
scare" Two weeks would have been
ample. In fact, according to the most
eminent authorities no such remedy as
dog catching is necessary. At the worst
the most trustworthy medical men say
that hydrophobia is of extremely rare
occurrence and that the vast majority of
cases reported to be such are really n
neurotic or hysterical trouble in which
Inn
tarly initiated. DR.. Charles K. Mills,
the foremost neurologist in the world,
says: 81 do not feel justified in saying
that hydrophobia does not exist, but l
have never seen so-called case that
could not be explained on some other
view than that of the introduction Of a
specific morbid virus"
The highest estimate of deaths by hy-
drophobia in one year in this country,
given by DIR. George H. Hart of the
animal industry bureau at Washington in
a report just published, is 800 in popu-
lation of sO,00O,o0o, and DR.. Henry w,
Cattell declares 1t to be too high. The
view of Dr. Joseph w. Hearn on dog
bites and their consequence is this: Il
am of the opinion that the bite of a
dog is no more dangerous than the
scratch of pin. | have never seen
a case of hydrophobia either in man or
dog, nor do l know any other physician
or surgeon, who has" Dr. Charles w.
Dulles, lecturer on the history of med
icine In the University of Pennsylvania,
who has been repeatedly appointed by the
medical societies of that state to investi-
gate rabies said. II have always insist
ed that the word hydrpohohia should be
used as the word CONFUSION is used and
| do not believe that there Is anything
specific in the saliva of a dog to cause
this disorder. I have gathered data upon
this subject from every part of the world.
In the last report of the registrar general
of England not single death from this
disease (hydrophobia) has been reported
either IN 1906 or any of the preceding
three years. In eight years only two
deaths have been reported in England
and Wales and these were registered in
1907. Records of IA years In England
show that in the year In which the larg-
est number of mad dogs were reported
there was the smallest proportion of
deaths by hydrophobia For example, in
1892, IS mad dogs were reported and II
deaths of human beings by hydrophobia,
a proportion of about / to 2. In 1895,
672 mad dogs were reported and 81 deaths
by hydrophobia, or about l to SO. In
1896, 4SS mad dogs were reported and 8
deaths from hydrophobia, or about to
40. The report of the New York society,
dated April last, stated that there was
no such thing as hydrophobia in that city
and that 26 animal catchers had been
bitten on an average of four times a
MONTH"
DR.. William Osler, in his standard work
on pathology, speaks of hydrophobia as
an ailment of exceedingly rare occur
renee.
With the above authority | feel justified
in saying that two weeks would have
been more than enough to torture the
poor dogs. JOHN A. BRATTON.
Birmingham, March 3, 1909. 2120 Third
avenue.