Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-14

The widespread existence of hydro
phob'a epidemics in the eastern har OF
the United States during the present year
will probably result in the institution
of an effective campaign against the dis
ease. Already many cities and towns
have adopted ordinances requiring the
muzzling Of dogs. and many agencies are
at work trying to educate the public TO
a proper appreciation of the dangers of
rabies and of the possibilities of pre-
venting the spread of this terrible dis
ease.
Two important bureaus of the United
States 20, c nlment have been making
careful inye-t cation as to the means of
preventing and controlling the disease
and its spread. and they agree that one
of the greatest difficulties which the pub
lie health authorities have to face is to
convince the people of the actual exist
ence of such a disease and of the neces-
sity to take certain precautions If 1t is to
be eliminated.
There are some people who refuse to
accept the orthodox theory to the
existence and contagiousness of rabies.
They believe 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 accepted
theories Of hydpophoba insist that even
If there is truth in the contentious of the
scientists, the picture Of the prevalence
of the disease is much overdrawn because
OF highly colored accounts in the news
papers.
- H.
health and marine hospital service has
made a seemingly
More Prevalent effective answer
in Eastern States. tion So IT,
ago he sent out circular letters to ply
sicians and public health officials through
out tie entire country. inquiring as to
the prevalence Of the disease. The re-
plies disclosed that many epidemics COM
pletely escaped any notice in the news
papers. Upon the replies from these in
quiries he has made a map of the United
States. with dots to indicate the preva-
lence 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 Colo
RADIO and the other IN Arizona. There
were no cases in Maii" and only one in
Vermont, but Visions Il, Indiana, Ohio.
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Maryland and Virginia are literally COW
cred with dots. New Jersey having more
epidemics than any other state in pro-
portion TO territorial extent.
There are many peculiarites about the
virus OF hydrophobia. For instance. If an
emulsion of the brain oe rabd animal
is rapidly filtered through fine Pasteur-
Chamberlain filter the liquid will be
harmless. On the other hand if similar
emulsion is passed through the more
porous Berkefeld filter the virus will go
through with the liquid Of the emulsion.
This is taken to show conclusively that
there is a germ responsible for the dis
ease. Further proof is gathered by the
fact that heating for one hour will de-
stroy the harmful properties of the most
virulent emulsion Its virulence also may
be destroyed by exposure to light for four
teen hours. to the usual antiseptic solu-
tons for a 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 immuni Ia
ton is possible. and that 1t may be trans
n!itted from one animal TO another