Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-03-29

4 d
3l(zEA harm. The symptoms de-
lSI velop over period Of
IS from three to eight days
H. before the biting mania
49, SEXES him. Meanwhile
II he gives hundred warn
ings. All that Is neces-
sary Is to chain him.
That this piece Of information has
not been given publicity before, ex-
cept In the case OF few New Eng
land towns, is due. to the general lack
Of caution, but, with the alarming In
crease of rabies both in animals and
men. II has become essential. Too
many dogs are going mad every day.
Something will have to be done about
It. The disease is now 30 prevalent
that It Is pertinent to ask:
Is your dog going mad too?
This question may strike you as un-
necessarily alarming. especially II you
happen to live where there have never
been any mad dogs. In that case you
are to be congratulated. Places with
such record are becoming rare. Your
turn may be next.
Left to spread as far as It might.
with practically no attempt to stop It,
rabies during the past few years has
become thickly disseminated over the
whole of the United States, except the
far West Along the Atlantic coast
and In the middle West, both North
and South, there Is hardly district
unaffected by 1t, and each additional
dog that goes mad il carrying It as
tar as he can travel in two or three
days time. It has arrived at the point
where It threatens everyone, and, II II
were not for the twenty-five or more.
Institutions which are now giving the
Pasteur treatment In the affected dis.
trtcts. the number Of human deaths
would be startling.
Three years ago rabies began to
press itself upon public attention. Up
to that time 1t had never appeared
as much Of danger In America, al
though mad dogs had shown them
selves at intervals for more than
century. Each In itself had always
been terrifying object. but the num-
bers we're comparatively scarce.
Conservative estimates Of the med
lcal men and boards of health place
the number OF deaths annually from
this dread disease at 10000.
The question OF what to do is also
before thi4 country. Two courses are
open: policing and q study OF the dis
ease which may lead to its prevention.
Effective policing has always meant
q rigid muzzle and leash law and the
chloroforming Of all stray dogs. But
It has been proved to be successful.
After centuries Of terror over rabid
animals. England, since 1897. has sue
ceeded by this means In remaining rid
Of them entirely, and only few
Y months ago when some OF the virus
was needed In a research laboratory
In Liverpool 1t had to be obtained out
side the country. Berlin has practical
" eradicated the disease within the
city following an epidemic during
which 2 dog went mad on the streets
every day. Paris. overcoming SEN
timental opposition, reduced the mad
dogs from $50 during the year 1901
to 10 In 1907. simply by compelling
owners to look after their pets.
Attempts to stop the disease In this
country have been spasmodic and
hysterical. It has required the death
Of SONS well-known person or some
unusual circumstance to awaken the
police. #
There are three types Of rabies:
furious. which we recognize; dumb,
which we do not; and mixture Of the
two. The furious is the most import.
ant.
The first action on the part Of q
dog which points to furious rabies Is
marked and unusual restlessness.
He jumps up constantly without cause
and is representative to light and
sound. He snoops in dark corners and
ticks everything nervously. He be.
comes ELUSIVE in his affection, and his
master, wondering, feels that there IL
trouble. and asks the poor dumb brute
what ails him.
Then, all at once. his disposition
changes. He snaps suddenly, and the
next instant ways his tail in apology
for his action. In moment he snaps
again. Meanwhile he eats and drink
normally and shows no sign Of paraly
sis, which we have been taught to lool
for when rabies Is suspected.
The restlessness increases In a way
that can hardly fail OF notice, and
then night comes when he gives lit
tie gasping howls. which sound a. Il
they had been choked OF In the mid
die. Anyone who has ever heard THU
howl knows instinctively that there Il
something wrong. There Is no confus
ing 1t with the ordinary barking al
passing or imaginary objects, and /,
sounds nothing at all like baying al
the moon. The bowls are senselesi
and the hearer realizes It.
At first the dog remains near the
house, giving his master ample time
70 take action. In fact he forces the
attention Of everyone within hearing
and spreads q vague uneasiness. Hill
hOwls get on the nerves of those with
In doors and they are rather apt Il
call out to him to be still. Some com
ment Is probably made on the peculiar
effect his bowling has. A timid mem
Der Of the household suggests that tn.
dog is going mad. but. the idea Il
secuted.
When this has gone on half The
night. and the family is distraught To-
lack Of sleep, the bowls begin to grow
fainter and the family falls into /
peaceful sleep. But the dog has gon,
away to menace the surrounding coun
try for fifty or hundred miles. H,
wanders aimlessly. the disease grip
ping him tighter hour by hour, and
Clock Made