New-York tribune., 1911-10-16
4 MAD FOX
Winter Sport in PeriI-Cauntry.
side Prejudice.

'Ai'''H- A'hF0 lh lit NANLiN- NhlfeE. and
now there are risks Of q more serio,.
Infection. Richard Bower. Master =,
the South and West Wiltshire For.
hounds. has died with unmistakabla
signs Of hydrophobia six months afts-
being bitten by a fox. The Board n,
Agriculture. which has stamped out "a
nies among dogs during the last four.
teen years bv enforcing the muzzlinq
order in infected areas and prolonged
quarantine for imported animals. Is not
prepared 10 admit either, that IL was a
genuine case Of hydrophobia. or that The
virus was received by the fox from
d0g It's experts viii cross-examine Mr.
Bowers. physicians. nurses and hunts.
men and conduct experiments with in
oculated rabbits before it admits tha.
there is a new source OF infection and
that fox hunting win have % be restrict.
ed. If not suspended altogether. in sus-
pected districts. There have been no
indications Of rabies I'm the pack o,
hounds which devoured the fox when
head and brush were cut of. The
master alone was bitten when be was
breaking up the fox at the end of the
rum and mis- hand was gloved.
While rabies among foxes and other
animals besides dogs is rare. there seem
20 be well authenticated cases. Sir Pryse
Pryse died from hydroph0bia eleven
years ago after being bitten by a fox in
Cardiganshire. and twenty years ago
there were two similar cases IN Wales.
Wolves. bears. cats and skunks in addi-
tl0p 90 dogs and foxes. have been known
t0 have a disorder closely resembling
rabies, go that IL Is possible 20 have an
outbreak Of the disease among animals
in spite Of the rigorous quarantine meas
ures adopted by the Board OF AgricuG-
ure. II the inOculated rabbits support
the evidence Of the medical men 40 the
Wiltshire inquest the experts vii. be
forced % recommend measures for the
regulation Of fox hunting. The foxes
cannot be muzzled. nor quarantined. nor
rendered immune by the Pasteur treat
ment. nor protected against rabies by
special treatment Of the environment, as
can be done against mango Their La
bility 20 development Of rabies without
infection from dogs will have % be ad-
mitted. The sequel may De that it win
be necessary 10 keep the dogs away from
the fox FOR their own protection. A sin
gle mad Reyuard flung 10 the pack SIX
months ago may lead 10 the temporary
suspension of fox hunting and what will
the squires and rough riders of both
sexes do after Christmas?
The Board Of Agriculture vii. encoun-
ter greater resistance IN q campaign
against mad foxes than ir did when Mr.
Long enforced the muzzIing order re-
lentIessIv. Fox hunting is a winter
sport. employing over two hundred
packs of hounds and involving ar a low
estimate an investment Of over S720o0.-
600 and an annual expenditure Of over
$4lOO0.O00. II is not only a pastime that
occupies the county gentry for four
months when shooting ls over BOZ tfe
North. but IL also trains men n hard
riding and venturesome jumping, and
keeps them from growing soft and sDir-
itIess and from being incapaCitated for
strenuous work I'm administering the en-
pire. The foxes come high. but in ac-
cordance with the hest British traditions.
they are worth what they cost What is
virtually a substitute for an agricultural
industry IS dependent upon the mainren-
ance OF fox hunting With the sunscrip-
rions from members. the breeding and
uukeep Of horses and dogs. the employ
ment Of stablemen and kennel helpers
and the incidental expenses ot hunting
three or four davs week for half the
wear. and Of entertainment on args
scale I'm country houses. n pack of fox
hounds is supposed % be- worth ABOUT
$500. 600 annually to "a circuit from twen-
- 10 thirty miles In breadth. There VII
Do a series Of rural revoIts If govern
menr experts decide that the foxes are
going mad and that the dogs are IN dan
ger of following them into rabies. 90 maj
hunting must be prohibited
Now and again some mischievous IN
terIoper kills q fox with O. revolver. in
stead OF allowing IT 90 PUN 20 cover ana
20 take the risks of being ultimately mar
ried To death by horsemen and hounds m
ruU cry. An episode of This kind makes
more talk in the COUNTRYSIDE than me
menace OF foreign war or the fate q
the last ditchers" in a struggle between
Lords and Commons Bow much more
disturbance win be caused hr systematic
government action for the suppression OF
rabies among foxes. The hunting squire
and poor Hodge between -hem nave
enough 70 worry over as it Is. The ioxes
are TO be kept clean and healthy ana
free from mango. or else the winters
sport viii be- ruined. and it is roi mn
there are several rounds of cub hunting
in the early autumn that 30 can boz hro"h
whether they are as good as they ooA'
ne NNAlth, Nlblttfftf ti.t't '' @
the pink of condition. or they viii De- IN
able % follow the fox on bad seeming
days The owners OF shooungs and NE
small farmers must also be conci.-aieu
and wire barriers be- removed ln sooe
time II fox hunting is 90 6e mainiainsu
as the characteristic sport ot the COUP
tryside. II every master of hounds oe ~
ouired % vduch for Reynaris 'mmnniV
from rabies III the end OF the run wheh
riders and dogs are rounded up for Ine
death scene. what win become of oiu-
fashioned sportT
The experts. with their inoculaIed iN'
h.t, win not dnd it easy t0 convince 'hs
rural population in hunting coIn'','