The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-02-28
DOING GOOD WORK

WWMVW VVVW w VAaA
PAsTEUR TREATMENT GIVEN IN
COLUMBIA FREE. &.
Ninety-Nir.e Fer Cent Of Persons Bit
ten by Rabid Dogs Saved Says
Report.
The Columbia Record says since
the beginning of the present year, 19
persons. of various ages, have re-
ceived the pasteur treatment for hy-
drophobia at the State laboratory In
this city, at no expense to themselves
except that of the cost of living. For
a year or so past this department of
the University of South Carolina, un
der the efficient management OF Dr..
F. A. Coward, has been treating this
disease most effectively, and it is
beyond question that through it's in
strumentality, number of lives have
been saved from this disease, which
when once developed, can not be
cured by any means now known 10
medical science. 2
: Five patients are now taking the
treatment under DR.. Coward. This
method of saving human beings from
death by bites from the so~called
mad dogs" was discovered by the
famous French scientist whose name
It bears, and since that time. all the
skill and knowledge Of scientists have
been devoted to perfecting the meth
DDS employed. It has now been re-
duced to system by which SO per
cent Of those bitten by mad dogs have
been saved from the dread disease,
which inevitably results in death.
The process is interesting. The treat
ment is practically painless, and dur
ing their treatment the patients are
at liberty except for a few minutes
each day.
The treatment consists essentially
in innoculating the patients with the
virus containing hydrophobia germs,
very veal; at first, but becoming
gradually stronger, until finally the
system is accustomed to the poison.
and rendered immune. Thus when
the disease develops, 1t is rendered
practically harmless. Furthermore,
the patient is immune from further
mad dog bites for period OF nearly
a year. 81
When a person is bitten BY q So
called mad dog, the first step Is to
examine the brain Of the dog for
germs of hydrophobia. If these are
found, or even II not, If circun-
stances are suspicious, the treatment
is given. Ordinarily, the disease will
develop in a human being In from
three weeks to six months. BY be-
ginning the treatment at once, the
patient is saved.
To begin with, rabbit Is innocu-
lated with hydrophobia virus taken
from the brain of some animal which
has died with the disease. The virus
is placed in the brain Of the rabbit,
and he is set apart for the disease to
develop. This takes place in about
nine days, the animal becoming par
alyzed at the end Of that time. The
spinal cord Of the rabbit is then re-
moved, cut in pieces, and placed in
the cooling incubator, which is main
tained at a temperature Of ;23 de-
grees centigrade. ,s.. @-
at the end of the first day small
particle is taken out, and preserved
on Ice in glycerine. Another por-
ton is taken out at the end of the
second day, and preserved in glycer-
inc, and SO on, for eight days, the
bottles being. numbered to show the
number of days in the incubator.
Those particles which have remained
eight days are the weakest, being
practically inert.
In general, the patient has first in
jected into him a small quantity of
the eight-day spinal cord, ground up
to- the consistency Of human blood.
The next day, the seven-day piece is
injected, and SO on down to the
one-day pieces, if the bites indicate a
dangerous case. The next week,
the treatment begin again with a
four or five day piece Of cord. The
treatment generally lasts three
weeks at the end Of which another
Injection Of one-day virus is made.
By this time the system of the pa
tient has been gradually accustomed
to the poison in it's strongest form,
and now when the germs from the
bite begin to develop, they are prac-
tically harmless. It is a case of
fighting poison with poison. This is
the only way now known to treat hy-
drophobia successfully, but the sue
cess of this method is proven by the
numbers which have taken it and
were probably saved from death.
Once it develops in the normal
human system, hydrophobia is incur
able. The treatment can do no harm,
when well managed, even If there
were no disease germs originally in
the body.
This department is operated und sr
the State government, and all the