The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-08-12
BULLETIN.
FROM STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.

Whenever person has been bitten
by dog the first thought is and ought
to be the possibility of rabies. Because
of an old superstition it has become
common practice to have the dog i'm
mediately put to death. Whenever the
animal is suspected of having rabies,
this procedure is highly fallacious and
cannot be too strongly condemned, as
it often makes the positive determine
tion of whether or not the dog had the
disease impossible. Rabies can only be
communicated by animals affected with
rabies and only short time before the
appearance of symptoms. The dog
shonld be tied or locked up and closely
watched. If symptoms do not appear
in the suspected animal within week,
the wound has not been inoculated with
the virus of rabies. If the dog dies
within the period mentioned. the brain,
or better, the entire head, should be
Immediately removed, packed in ice to
prevent decomposition, and sent to the
Pasteur Institute at Ann Arbor, Michi-
gan, for examination, and if the suspic-
ion is confirmed by laboratory findings
and the diagnosis is positive, the indi-
vidual who was bitten should without
further delay be given the Pasteur
treatment.
While the number of deaths from ra-
bies occupies no conspicuous place on
the mortality tables of our state, the
horror of the disease, its inevitable ia
tality and its gruesome termination
makes it one of the most dreaded in
fections known to man.
Nearly all animals are susceptible to
rabies. About 80 per cent. of the cas-
es occurr in dogs, about Is per cent. in
cattle. Wolves, skunks. cats and 9TH
er mammals are occasionally infected.
The contagious virus is present in the
nerve tissues of infected animals and
is most often communicated through
the saliva. The bite of rabid animal
brings the contagious saliva in contact
with the nerve fibres, through which 1t
travels to the cells of the brain and
spinal cord. The period between infec-
ton and the appearance of the first
symptoms of rabies varies from a few,
weeks to several months. and during
this period Pasteur's treatment may be
given and the disease prevented.
Over 80 per cent. of all cases of ra-
bies results from being bitten by dogs.
1t is therefore Of highest Importance
that the muzzling of dogs be enforced.
In Great Britain the number of cases
of rabies in 1889 was 312. at which
time muzzling began to be enforced.
In 1892 the number of cases had been
reduced to 38 and the muzzling ordin-
ance which had met with great deal
of opposition was relaxed. After this
the number of cases rapidly increased
to 672 in 1895, after which muzzling
was again enforced and the number of
cases was reduced to none in 1900. Let
US profit by the experience Of Great
Britain and remove this terrible Attic
tion from our midst. When animals
cannot bite they cannot communicate
the disease and the contagion of rabies
will die with the dying of the last in
fected. Many of the contrivances sold
as muzzles are not effective and are
simply attempts to evade the law. In
town where u muzzling order is in
force unless dog wears an efficient
muzzle, one that prevents the dog
from biting, he should be looked upon
in the same light as dog that does
not wear one.
Very truly yours,
ROBERT l.. DIXON, M. D.,
Secretary.