The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1912-06-07
TREATMENT GIVEN
FOR HYDROPH0B|A
Done Splendid Work in Supplying
Pasteur Virus Free.

Atlanta, Ca, Aug. 7.-(Special.)-
One of the most important works
the Georgia State Board of Health
| is doing for the people of the state
| is that of supplying the Pasteur treat
ment without cost, in all cases, or
probable and possible cases, of hydro
phobia produced from the bite of a
dog or other animal afflicted with the
disease. Hydrophobia has grown
more prevalent in recent years; ami
| mails are allowed to run at large and
in this way it spreads among them
| making its communication a matter
of more ease and frequence.
1t would be manifestly impossible
| for physicians to maintain in each
county of the state or even in few
of them, the extensive and costly lab
oratory necessary to the preparation
of the Pasteur virus; it is a duty,
therefore, which devolves upon state
boards of health, and the Georgia
Board has developed the treatment in
the most scientific and practical man
ner possible.
The Board began the Pasteur treat
ment three years ago, and within the
| period since then has administered it
either directly or through the physi-
| clans of the patients to about 1900
| persons. There were approximately
| 500 cases treated during 1911, and
more than 200 during the first four
months of the present year in only
one of which there was a death, that
of a child which received a severe
! face injury and death in this instance
was due to the fact that the wound
was not properly treated at the time.
| In rs to so per cent. of the brains
of animals, such as dogs, horses, cats,
COWS, examined under the direction
Of the Board, changes have been
found which indicated that they were
suffering from nydrophobia 1t will
be apparent, therefore, to what ex-
| tent the danger exists of contracting
| the disease.
Facial wounds are always the most
|
to the BRAN. 1t is in the brain that
| the poison does it's work and when
| the wound is in the face, it gets there
more quickly. Always, therefore, IN
| the case OF facial injuries persons
| should act more promptly. The wound
should be promptly cauterized and the
| treatment administered with the least
| possible delay.
Where a person is bitten by a dog
or other animal, the wound should
| be washed and then thoroughly eau
terized with nitric acid or carbolic
acid. This always lessons the dan
| ger. In the case of a severe facial
| injury, as pointed out, unless it is
| thoroughly cauterized, it is often dit
| ficult to get the Pasteur treatment in
time to effect cure.
If the animal was acting queerly
| at the time the person was bitten, it
should be killed and its head sent i'm
! mediately to the laboratory of the
| Georgia State Board of Health, At
lanta, for examination. If, on the 9TH
| er hand, there are no symptoms Of
| hydrophobgia in the animal it should
be confined and watched for develop
ments, because if the animal is killed
in the early stages of the disease, it
! is often difficult or impossible to find
the pathological changes in the brain
which indicate the presence of the
| disease. But as soon as hydrophobic
| symptoms make their appearance, the
animal should be killed and the head
| sent to the Board of Health properly
tagged and labeled. Every possible
test is made by the Board to ascer
| tain whether the disease is present,
and where the ordinary methods fail.
| the incubation test is made, some
| hot IT,
| brain being injected into rabbit or
a guinea pig to see whether it will
| develop the disease, thus showing it's
presence in the head of the animal
under examination.
/ The process of preparing the Pas
| teur virus is an interesting one. Heal
| thy rabbits are used for the purpose.
An emulsion is prepared from the
4 brain of a rabbit which died of hydro
| phobia, and this substance is injected
| into the brain of a healthy rabbit.
| Within seven to eight days this rab-
] bit is practically dead from hydropho-
| bia. 1t is then chloroformed and its
spinal chord is removed. 1t is this
chord that is used in the. Pasteur
treatment, the patient being given by
| injection twenty-one doses, or one
| dose each day for twenty one days.
| when the treatment is complete. :
| There is always danger in the bite
of an animal and few, if any, care to
take chances on the result The Pas
| teur treatment as prepared by the
Georgia State Board of Health is alb
solutely free to those desiring it, and
| they may either come to Atlanta and
| have it administered at the Boards
| laboratory, or it will be mailed upon
| application to their family physician
1 for administration at home.