The Paonia newspaper., 1911-03-24

cept in the case of few New Eng
land towns. is due to the general lack
OF caution, but, with the alarming In
crease of rabies both In animals and
men, 1t has become essential. Too
many dogs are going mad every day.
Something will have to be done about
It. The disease is now so prevalent
that 1t is pertinent to ask:
Is your dog going mad too!
This question may strike you as un-
necessarily alarming. especially If you
happen to live where there have never
been any mad dogs. In that case you
are to be congratulated. Places with
such a record are becoming rare. Your
turn may be next
Left to spread as far as 1t might.
with practically no attempt to stop It,
rabies during the past few years has
become thickly disseminated over the
whole of the United States. except the
far West. Along the Atlantic coast
and in the middle West. both North
and South. there is hardly district
unaffected by it. and each additional
dog that goes mad is carrying it as
far as he can travel in two or three
days time. 1t has arrived at the point
where 1t threatens everyone. and. If 1t
were not for the twenty-five or more
institutions which are now giving the
Pasteur treatment in the affected dis
tricts. the number of human deaths
would be startling.
Three years ago rabies began to
press itself upon public attention. Up
en-. hot k.I a1
as much of a danger in America. al
though mad dogs had shown them
selves at intervals for more than a
century. Each In itself had always
been a terrifying object. but the num-
bers were comparatively scarce.
Conservative estimates of the med
fcal men and boards Of health place
the number of deaths annually from
this dread disease at 10000.
The question of what to do is also
before this country. Two courses are
open: policing and study of the dis
ease which may lead to its prevention
Effective policing has always meant
a rigid muzzle and leash law and the
chloroforming of all stray dogs. But
IT has been proved to be successful
After centuries OF terror over rabid
animals, England, since 1897. has sue.
ceeded by this means In remaining rid
OF them entirely. and only a few
months ago when some OF the virus
was needed in a research laboratory
In Liverpool II had to be obtained out
side the country. Berlin has practical
1y eradicated the disease within the
city following an epidemic during
which dog went mad on the streets
every day. Paris. overcoming a SEN
timental opposition. reduced the mad
dogs from $50 during the year 1901
to 10 in 1907. simply by compelling
owners to look after their pets.
Attempts to stop the disease in this
country have been spasmodic and
hysterical. II has required the death
Of some well-known person or some
unusual circumstance to awaken the
police.
There are three types of rabies:
furious. which we recognize; dumb,
which we do not; and a mixture OF the
two. The furious is the most import
ant
The first action on the part Of a
Jug WHICH POINTS 10 IuTiOub rabies Is
a marked and unusual restlessness.
He Jumps up constantly without cause
and is hypersensitive to light and
sound. He snoops in dark corners and
licks everything nervously. He be-
comes effusive in his affection, and his
master. wondering. feels that there is
trouble, and asks the poor dumb brute
what ails him.
Then, all at once. his disposition
changes. He snaps suddenly. and the
next instant wags his tail in apology
for his action. In a moment he snaps
again. Meanwhile he eats and drinks
normally and shows no sign of paraly-
sis. which we have been taught to look
for when rabies is suspected.
The restlessness increases in a way
that can hardly fail Of notice. ane
then a night comes when he gives lit
tie gasping howls. which sound as II
they had been choked of In the mid
die. Anyone who has ever heard this
howl knows. .instinctively that there is
something wrong. There is no confus-
ing 1t with the ordinary barking at
passing or imaginary objects, and 1t
sounds nothing at all like baying at
the moon. The howls are senseless
and the hearer realizes 1t.
At first the dog remains near the
house, giving his master ample time