The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-03-10

bite under all kinds of conditions.
To show you still further how ex-
tremely rare it is, have interviewed
40 physicians whose practice has ex-
tended over long periods and not one
had ever seen a case of hydrophobia
DR.. Osler, the most widely known in
vestigator, reports that he has only
seen two cases since 1867. | could
cite you other ones of high authority
that give the same history of this
dreaded disease.
1nere Is scarcely day that we de
not hear of some mad dog scare but
they all fake and end in the poor dog
! getting the worst of it. While work
ing in state laboratory some years
ago l went with two eminent physi-
clans to kill a valuable dog that had
| been reported as dying with hydro
phobia. The dog was in wealthy
! section OF the city and had almost
caused riot before we reached the
place. Our object was to obtain the
brain so as to examine it in the lab
oratory We were fully armed for
such an expedition. Every one agreed
that this was indeed a true case of
hydrophobia. The dog was killed,
his head cut off and to our surprise
there was sharp chicken bone in his
throat. In few minutes we all Slip
ped off leaving the poor dog, much
ashamed for what we had done.
/ Dog Needs Drinking Water.
Another case wherein a dog show
ed symptoms of hydrophobia,
thorough investigation revealed the
fact that the dog had not had water
in any form for twenty days. Among
to see that all the animals on the
place have been watered, but the dog
is left to look out for himself. l
want to say that if there is anything
that will make man or woman show
signs of hydrophobia just let him do
without water for twenty days.
When dog has pain or is dis
tressed in any way, it is as natural
for him to bite as it is for the horse
to kick or the cat to scratch. Along
this line let me give you an example
that l know to be true, and it first
started me to thinking on this ques-
ton. 1t happened at my home
when / was living at 1914 Eighth
avenue. | had a young Collie dog.
one afternoon he was in the back
yard and became violent, jumping in
the air and rolling on the ground az
well DIS CIdWlHS dC MS throat. Every
one that saw him declared that he
was going mad. Mrs. Beck was the
only one that was at home at the
time. Against the protest of everyone
she firmly held his head between her
knees, pulling his mouth open, look
ing down, saw a large bone wedged
in his throat. She took a stick and
pried it out, which of course ended
the trouble. Now the point that l
wish to make is this: With the ex-
citement that it caused, within five
minutes some one would have turn
ed in mad dog scare. The police
would have arrived on the scene; the
dog would have been shot and the re-
port gone around as a dog killed
having hydrophobia
Many people take no precaution as
to what they feed their dogs, imagin-
ing that they can swallow anything,
,, when in reality such food as sharp
chicken bones are extremely danger
Gus. If you do not believe that sharp
bones will produce symptoms of hy-
drophobia just try eating some. You
are just about as able to swallow
sharp chicken bones as your dog
Another thing l wish to mention in
case a dog bites any one-don't kill
the dog at once; tie him up so you
can see if he will develop hydropho-
, bia-otherwise you destroy your best
diagnostic principle.