El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-22

medulla of the brain or a rd bid amman
is put in sterile distilled water and
macerated thoroughly From this So
luton a rabbit is inoculated under the
duraI membrane of the brain. When
the rabbit dies of rabies. its medulla
is taken and a similar solution pre-
pared to the first used, with which a
second rabbit is inOculatcd, and so
continues the incubation through
series Of so rabbits This will intensity
the virus and secure a more pure cul-
ture of the organism of hydrOphobia
and rabies.
Then take out the entire spinal cord
of the last rabbit of the series and sus-
pend il in a sterile bottle plugged with
sterile cotton so as TO allow air TO pass
through the bottle after it filters
through the cotton. Three or four
pieces of stick caustic potash are
placed in each bottle as an absorbent
of all moisture to hasten the drying
of the cord. A cord thus treated only
retains its virility Il days and the
treatment of persons only begins with
IA day cords because they yield the
weakest solution Of the vaccine that
can be obtained. The injection each
day Of sterile solutions from a one day
fresher cord, is made until a three
day cord is reached. This constitutes
the treatment that practically i'm
munizes one to the bites received from
rabid animals
In running down to a three day cord
in ordinary cases three weeks are re-
uuired Immunity after the treatment
lasts for variable lengths of time, but
if again bitten after several weeks,
treatment should be given again as
precautionary measure
This is the exact treatment as given
in the Pasteur institute in Paris. There
monkeys were used for experimental
purposes as they most nearly approach
man as an animal
The method by the use of these ami
mails that Pasteur used in the develop
ment of his treatment is extremely in
terestihg He commenced his treat
ment with the most attenuated virus
from apes and worked up to very ac-
tive virus from rabbits. The virus re-
mains alive in carcasses for hours and
so these animals should always be
burned.
Specimens for Examination.
The positive diagnosis of the dis
ease in the carcasses of rabid animals
can only be made by the incubation or
another test animal with a care
fuIIv nrepared preparation OF
portions of the medulla of the
suspected animal. but the mi
croscope furnishes strong presump-
tive evidence, as before stated In
Sending specimens to the Pasteur in
stitute here for examination, they
should be obtained by strict antiseptic
methods and placed in sterile bottle
of sterile glycerine of good quality
and the bottle Theoretically sealed II
the whole head is sent the neck should
be included. Cold does not destroy the
virus so keep specimen as cold as
possible Con ice), for soon decomposi-
ton sets IN and the diagnosis can only
be made in perfectly fresh specimens
When patients come to a Pasteur in |
stitute they are usually very much |
frightened, but after three or four |
DAYS of treatment their fears wholly |
leave them as a rule i
Means to Suppress Rabies.
AS to the means that should be used !
by our county and city authorities to |
suppress rabies as stated before, muZ- !
cling Of dogs comes first, and the kill |
ing Of stray ours and all untagged and |
unmuzzled dogs
These matters cannot be enforced by /
a dog catcher or two. but must become |
the duty of every sanitary official. and |
also the police, and 1t should be the |
duty of each policeman TO see that |
dogs on his beat at any time during |
the year. /
Policemen should have special infor |
ma ton on this disease and should know |
that they should not shoot every dog |
suspected of rabies. for often the life /
of the person bitten may be lost by !
not preserving the dog alive TO see il !
he dies of rabies. The mania that is in |
the head of every policeman for shoot |
ing mad dogs, is well illustrated by an !
occurrence on Broadway in New York |
city. A crowd had gathered around /
little woody dog in the gutter which /
seemed to be frothing at the mouth. |
Soon some one yelled mad dog" and |
up rushed a bprly policeman. He |
pushed back the crowd with only the |
show of authority possible to blue |
coat drew his big gun that was as /
long as the dog and took aim (from a |
safe distance) in heroic effort to save |
the city from hydrophObia, buN just /
then a frail little woman stepped from !
the crowd and picked up the little dog |
in her arms, saying: stop. you big |
mick. Can't I give my little dog a
cream puff without you wanting to kill |
him for hydrophobia?"
But seriously-it is much TO be de- /
sired that these three deplorable deaths
from hydrophobia that have recently /
occurred in FL Paso and the several |
cases Of children bitten by dogs will |
arouse public sentiment and educate !
the public concerning this disease and /
as TO the means for it's suppression I'M
til the disease as well as the dog nuis-