The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-10-26
BUT ONE PATIENT HAS DIED
Many Cases of People Bitten in This
Section of the State Were Treated
in the Laboratory at Madison Dur
ing the Last Few Months.


That rabies is being successfully com
batted by the state board Of health
and state hygienic laboratory is indi
Gated in a report made public which
shows that out Of nearly two hundred
patients treated only one has died
from the disease.
Although rabies has been prevalent
IN the state for many years, no system
attic examination nor methods of pre-
vention were used until the fall of
1907. In that year rabies became very
pronounced i'll the neighborhood of Be-
lott, and then the disease took a gen
eral northeasterly direction.
Successfully rabid animals were re-
ported from GAINESVILLE, Milton juno
ton, Watertown, Oshkosh, Green Bay
and Marinette. Scattering cases also
were reported from Racine and other
parts Of the state. The majority of
N0hid snimals, however, came from the
central district.
Just what is the explanation of this
peculiar spread of the disease cannot
be told, says DR.. M. P. Ravenel, di-
rector of the hygienic laboratory.
After the legislature had refused to
establish a Pasteur institute the out
break OF rabies in the state became so
severe that DR.. G. A. Harper and DR..
Ravenel determined to begin the treat
ment at once. Up to the present time
1913 cases have been treated and only
one death has occurred. This was of a
little Indian girl from the Oneida res
ervation. She was severely bitten on
the face and lower jaw and died be-
fore the treatment had been given.
More recently cases of rabies have
been sent to the laboratory from the
neighborhood of Lacrosse and from the
eastern and southeastern part of the
state. This is evidence that the disease
is continuing to spread in Wisconsin.
The death rate in Wisconsin from ra-
bies is considerably lower than in MANY
other states where no Pasteur institute
is maintained. At presentla charge OF
$25 is made, which covers approximate
ly the actual expense of the LABORATORY
treatmenh AS soon as possible the
state board of health and the iabora-
tory propose to give the treatment free
to ali applicants who are citizens of
Wisconsin.
In a recent report upon 164 cases
which had been treated, DR.. Ravenel
stated that the bites were inflicted in
l49 cases by dogs, in cases by cats,
in 3 by cows, in by horses, and in
by human beings, In 10 cases the
bites were in the face, in So on the
hands, in SO on the lower extremities,
and in IL eases on the upper extremity,
and in 10 cases the person was bitten
more than once, An examination of
these eases shows remarkable diver.
sity OF opinion among physicians of the
state as to the treatment of bite from
supposedly rabid dog. Forty-fve
different medical preparations were
used, including almost everything from
carbolic acid to hot water.
When the wound is not ragged and
laeerated. so that all parts of it can he
thoroughly reached, - says DR.. Ravenel.
the application of tuning nitric acid
apparently removes all danger of
hydrophobia. Next to this agent solu-
tions of iodine seem to have the most
power. In all eases, before using a
caustic, free bleeding should be encour-
aged and the wound washed with warm.
sterile water"
DIR. Ravepel asserts the principal
necessary steps in the control of rabies
are the enforcement of dog tax. the
destruction of stray dogs, the enforce
ment Of the muzzle and leash, and
strict quarantine for a period of at
least ninety days of all dogs exposed
to rabies.