El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-10
WAR AGAINST
RABIES IS
STARTED
Hydrophobia Epidemics NJ
merous in East; Scarce in
The West.
SCIENTIFIC FIGHT
TO BE INAUGURATED

Washington, D. c., June 10.-The
widespread existence Of hydrophobia
epidemics in the eastern half of the
United States during the present year
will probably result in the institution
Of an effective campaign against the
disease. Already many cities and towns
have adopted ordinances requiring the
muzzIing Of dogs, and many agencies
are at work trying to educate the pub
lie to a proper appreciation of the dan
gers Of rabies and of the possibilities
Of preventing the spread of This :erri-
bic disease.
Two important bureaus Of the Unit
ed States government have been max
ing careful investigation as TO the
means Of curing and controlling the
disease and its spread, and they agree
that one of the greatest difficulties
which the public health authorities has
to face is to convince the people OF the
actual existence Of such a disease and
Of the necessity to take certain pre-
cautions If it is to be eliminated
Hard to Convince the ReOplc.
There are some usually conservative
people who refuse to accept the Or
thodox theory as to the existence and
contagiousness of rabies. They pc
lieve that dogs are like men-that they
become restless and IRRITABLE when the
weather is hot and dry, and that when
they are pursued by mob bent upon
their destruction they naturally exhibit
symptoms easily COMPOUNDED by the lay
men who make up the mob with those
Of rabies. These opponents of the ac-
cepted theories of hydrophobia insist
that even if there Is truth in the con-
tentions of the scientists, the picture
Of the prevalence of the disease Is
much overdrewn because of highly col
ored accounts in the newspapers.
EpfdemieS Are Numerous.
But the surgeon general OF the public
health and marine hospital service has
made a seemingly effective answer to
this contention Some time ago he sent
out circular letters to physicians and
public health officials throughout the
entire country, inquiring as to the
prevalence of the disease. The replies
disclosed that many epidemics COM
p1eteIy escaped any notice in the news
papers Upon the replies from these
inquiries he has made a map OF the
United States with dots to indicate the
prevalence Of the disease. This map
shows that during the year there were
only two epidemics west Of the western
boundary Of Oklahoma One OF these
was in Colorado and the other in. Ari-
IONA There We're no cases in Maine
and only one in Vermont, but Wiscon-
sim Indiana, Ohio. New York, New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Vir-
ginia are literally covered with dots,
New Jersey having more epidemics
than any other state in proportion to
territorial extent.
The HydrophObia Virus.
There are many peculiarities about
the virus Of hydrophobia. For in
stance. If an emulsion Of the brain of
a rabid animal is rapidly filtered
through a fine Pasteur- Chamberlain
filter. the liquid will be harmless. On
the other hand, if a similar emulsion
is passed through the more porous
Berkefeld filter, the virus will go
through with the liquid Of the emul-
sion This Is taken to show con-
clusively that there is a germ respon-
sible for the disease. Further proof
is gathered by the fact that heating
for one hour will destroy the harmful
properties of the most yfrulent emul-
sion It's virulence also may be de-
stroyed by exposure to light for IA
hours, to the usual antiseptic solutions
for short period, or to the action Of
the gastric Juice Another proof Of the
existence of an organism responsible
for the disease is that protective immu-
nizaticn is possible, and that it may be
transmitted from ore animal to another
through a long series. This indicates
that it is not a mere toxin, because. If
1t were, in handing it down from one
animal TO another IT would become
greatly diluted. and therefore harmless.
Is Not In the Blood.
The germ which causes the disease
does not live in the blood. but has the
nerve centers of the body as its favor
tie habitation. IT is rarely possible to
transmit it by incubation with the
blood Of affected animals. but the sri-
nal cord Of an affected animal is filled