The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-20
DESTROY RABIES
. BY LIE ISL AT 10 N
--------- ------
Dir. Ferguson Advocates Adop-
ton OF Police Power
Over Dogs.
FIFTY CASES TREATED HERE
Marvcls That Civilized State
Permits Existence OF
Hydrophobia.
FIFTY CASES TREATED HERE

Why the state of Virginia, or any
other state for that matter, permits
hydrophobia to exist, taking an occa-
sional life, causing loss of stock, en-
failing expenses for treatment on indi-
viduals and on the public purse, and
filling communities with fear and hor-
ror is standing enigma to Dr. Meade
Ferguson, bacteriologist of the state
Health Department. The time has
come. he says, when the Legislature
should take a hand In tho elimination
of rabies from this Commonwealth.
BY the adoption of methods which
have been tried and proven in other
countries said DIR. Ferguson yester-
day, rabies can be wiped off the map.
1t Is my hope to start campaign
which will result in adequate legisla
ton at the next session of the General
Assembly.
Control of Dogs.
My plan is simply police power over
dogs. 1t was tried in England decade
ago, and to-day there is no hydropho-
bia from Lands End TO John o. Greats
1t has been practiced in Norway and
Sweden and In Denmark"
Dr. Ferguson's plan is to have every
dog in the State licensed The license
number would appear on the collar.
together with the name of the owner.
Any dog found without collar would
be killed without notice and without
delay,
Then the owner of the dog would be
held responsible in damages for any
loss caused by its actions. The name
could be ascertained from the collar.
If the dog bites another animal. the
owner must pay. If 1t bites child or
ri ~ Z, -
or not the proprietor should be held
responsible
IF any person wants to keep dog
SAYS DR.. Ferguson. "he should be will
Ing 10 stand for the damages done by
the animal He has no right to iniure
the public for his own pleasure"
Disease Would Die.
Then. In addition, he would have
every dog in every city muzzled per-
manently Deprived of the power to
bite other dogs those infected with
rabies would be unable to continue the
spread of the disease. In year there
would be no hydrophebia in Virginia
DR. Ferguson realizes the impracti-
cability of requiring dogs to be muz-
lied in country districts. But all of
these would be licensed, and some one
would be responsible for them Hunt
ing parties coming in from other states
might be required to get licenses. or
else there might be modification OF
The law so long as the animal Is under
immediate supervision of its owner
While skunks and coyotes are in rare
instances responsible for the spread
of rabies. its real dissemination is
| through dogs almost entirely
Fifty Cnses Here.
About fifty cases of persons bitten by
rabid dogs have been treated during
the year 1910 by the State Health he
partment. The cost to nearly all these
individuals of coming to Richmond and
paving board here has naturally been
great. One death close to Richmond
has resulted And yet" said Or. Fer
suson. Virginia, a civilized state. per-
lnits dogs to run at large to spread dis
ease and death and terror at VIII.
only few days ago" he continued.
"a bulldog on the streets of Richmond
without warning, sprang at me and fas-
tened his teeth in my sleeve child
in the same circumstances would prob
ably have been torn to pieces Such
animals should not be allowed to go
abroad without muzzles.
''All the dogs in the State are not
worth the one life that has been sacri-
feed"