Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-08
Hydrophobia Hospital.


To the Editor Of the Evening Star;
Dear Sir-In last nights issue OIL
n of the evening papers there
appears an article in relation to a
meeting of the city Health Board,
when a paper was read by Secre-
tary Chandler treating upon the
necessity of establishing a labora-
tory for the treatment of hydro
phobia. This seems to us to be a
very commendable attitude. Our
city has grown to be large enough
and rich enough to do It's own
scientific work without going out
side for assistance. But are there
sufficient reasons to make pupi1c
this uncalled-for scare, and thus
unduly causing excitement that
cannot do otherwise than serious
ly affect those fun%fortunates who
have recently been bitten by dogs?
A few facts here stated, let us
trust, may have the effect of re-
lieving the o~verwrought minds of
those who may read that article.
Hydrophobia Is a rare disease,
and 1t is a question if there has
been q genuine case of it in this
city in a year. 1 herewith quote a
few of the most eminent authors
ties upon this malady. DIR. George
H. Hart, Of the animal industry
bureau at Washington, d. c., says
in a published report: 1.-THE high
est number of deaths in one year
was 800 in a population of s0,00o,-
0o0." DIR. H. w. Cattell says that is
too high. DIR. Samuel d. Gross.
the venerable professor of surgery
in the Jefferson Medical College,
Philadelphia, says, Il have never
seen q case of genuine hydro
phobia. nor do 1 know of any other
physician or surgeon who has"
DIR. Charles w. Dulles, lecturer
on history of medicine in the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, who has
been repeatedly appointed by the
medical societies of the State to
investigate rabies and who has
prepared and read more papers on
the subject before medical socie-
ties of both this and other
tries than any other living scien-
fist, says 81 have always insisted,
and so stated a thousand times,
that the word .hydrophobia' should
be used exactly as the word CON
vulsions' is used-to indicate q con-
dition-without any prejudice as
to its cause. People have these
symptoms and die, but from what
cause is another question. There is
what is called psychosis, which is
an extreme nervous excitability,
and it may be due to many causes.
One of the commonest is fear, and
I would make an earnest appeal to
the newspapers to cease printing
reports of deaths by hydrophobia.'
The Humane Society of New Jer-
sey. by O city ordinance, is empow-
cred to gather up and dispose OF
stray dogs found at large upon the
streets of our city, and in the mani
pulation of several thousand tho
men employed have been bitter
hundreds of times, with no serious
results.
Mention was made in the articl,
referred to that there We're 1000
dogs in the city of Newark and tina
the Humane Society was made
quate to cope with the work witt
which it is intrusted. A brie
synopsis of what 1t is doing may b,
interesting and the means of dis
pelling this delusion. A few year
g the city undertook to do thi
work, with the following results
viz. In four months time, on an ex
penditure of $1,000. less than 800
dogs disposed Of (see report at Cit,
Hall). The following year the HUI
mane Society took UP the work o.
an appropriation of $4,000, dispose,
of over 1000 dogs. did an immens
amount of humane work in add
ton. and each succeeding year ha
increased the work On the sam
amount of appropriation. until
has reached for the year just ende
the enormous figure of about 600
animals. Desiring to know how tn
work was being done and its result
the finance committee of the Con
mon Council, under whose auspics
the society works, appointed a con
mittce of three, composed of Alder
men Cairns. Gaffeney and Shape, t
Investigate, and after a careful il
vestigation it reported the wor
was excellent and satisfactory.
Now. if the Appropriated "10, 00(