Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-12-21
Peculiar Disease is Hydro
phobia.

not, state bacteriologist has COM
pleted his proof as to the nature
of the disease and made his re-
port to the State Board of Health.
He found the brain of the diseas-
ed animals, both horses and hogs,
to be teeming with negri bodies,
the germs of hydrophobia. These
germs were introduced into rab-
bits and they developed typical
hydrophobia. A post mortem
examination showed their brains
to be in the same condition as
those of the hogs and horses that
had died of the disease. The
germs from these rabbits were
injected into other rabbits and
theyin turn died of hydrophobia,
and the proof is complete.
The finding of the germs above
should be proof enough but add
to that the experiments on the
other animals and the proof is
such as must be admitted by all
who know anything of pathology
or bacteriology.
The mystery that surrounds
this disease is now cleared away
like fog before the sun and the
farmers and stockmen know what
they have to deal with. Nothing
is more difficult than fighting an
unknown and invisible foe.
The symptoms, as in most
brain affections, differ greatly
according to the parts of the brain
most affected. Some live for
weeks and even months while |
others become furious and die in |
a day or two. In the latter
stages they generally show a par
TALLY paralized condition of legs.
If certain parts of the brain are
affected it causes par
alysis of stomach and bowels,
stagnation of food, CIV
ing an opportunity for bots,
and other intestinal par
asites to multiply and so give
some color to the theory that the
animal dies on account of these
parasites. Man as well as the
lower animals is subject to this
disease.
There are two kinds of Hydro
phobia the Dumb and the Rabid
or Furious. This being the Dumb
variety it was more difficult of
recognition.
Each animal displayed symp- :
,oms according to his nature. d
The horse being herbivmous +
animal shows little tendency to '
bite. He uses his muscles in
as is his nature, while t
he dog and coyote have a ten
lency to bite and snap at objects =
With which they come in contact. a
The hog generally loses flesh and I
grunt around a few days
or weeks and dies of paralysis. t
1t is not definitely known how the q
disease started here, but it is known
hat coyotes have been seen travelling z
hrough the country with all the symp- Il
oms of Hydrophobia. This disease has
,een prevalent in Washington and Idaho
md may have been brought here by a
diseased horses from those states. The
.erms are found in the secretions Of the
yes and nose of the horse, so may be
by eating and drinking h
tter q affected animal. G
AS for cure. there is no cure for man ~
r beast once the disease is established. u
person can he vaccinated so as to =,
,revent the disease from developing. but :,
t m1st be one before symptoms of r
/ lydrophobia develop This treatment !,
will not Likely be practical for horses n
nd hogs Themain reliance must bealong :,
he line of prevention, quarantine and a
isinfection. AS far as the veterinaries r.
re concerned, l have no quarrel with
mem nor criticism to offer, nor should
hey criticise me as did not enter the
eld till several weeks after they had
bandoned it and then only at the urgent
olicitation Of the men whose stock was
ying. Il
As for Mr.. Knappanberg's letter to the o.
lines Of last week, it hardly requires n
n answer, but it would not be polite to r.
gnoIe him as he says he is zone who
nows" and can give US facts, but his =,
1-cAlled facts, on investigation, all "
rove to be only fancy. That famous =
III did not stop the disease. 80 it Is re- cG
oried that he shipped his hogs to Port il
nd last week. The only part of his 10
-ficle WHARF he leaves the realm of