The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-08-15
DOG DAY FALLACIES.

There are a whole lot OF things tc
be found out about dog days and mad
| dogs which are not generally known
The great Pasteur said bah" when
he was asked if more dogs went mad
in summer than in winter.
AS a matter of plain fact rabies
is never developed spontaneously in
dogs. The poison is conveyed from
one dog to another by bites and the
disease may develop in summer or
it may develop in winter.
1t may be that in summer more
dogs are mistakenly considered mad
because of their suffering from the
heat. Or it may be that in the silly
season the diversion and excitement
which case of rabies furnishes nils
much felt want and the sensation
is magnified. 1t is something like
the question, tWhy do married men
live longer than single menu and its
answer, They don't; it just seems
longer" Dogs just seem madden in
summer. They get mad just as often
in winter but folks have other things
to talk about then.
But while the authorities on rabies
all agree that 1t is an Infection and
does not come of its own accord"
they are equally positive that it is
on the increase. The reason of this
! is that a great number of dogs are
over-fed and spoiled and they be-
have just like folks do. They snap
at things unnecessarily and get the
worst of it sometimes. A mad dog
one which has regular case of ra-
bies-will snap at things which are
in its way, but it will not pursue an
other dog or person as bad-tem-
pered, quarrelsome dog will, but the
swapping, quarrelsome dog runs
many chances of rabies for the rea-
son that it is out to scrap and often
the rabies victim and get inoculated
with the poison which is carried in
the saliva.
Now, of course, there is more of
this running out of doors and scrap
ping with strange dogs in summer
than there Is in winter and the best
precaution against rabies Is to keep
YOU dog to itself and not permit
it to go out for a democratic rally
with it's fellow dogs.
The doctors are pretty well agreed
that many Of the cases of hydrophO-
bia in persons is simply hysteria. A
horror Of this sensational disease so
often abysses the mind that a dog
bite of any sort produces case of
lyssophobia. Lyssophobia is nothing
more or less than an Inflammation
of the Imagination coupled with
knowledge of hydrophobic symptoms.
There are two sorts of rabies, both
in dogs and in humans. The raging
and the quiet kinds, but while peo-
pie who are poisoned with hydropho-
bia have a horror of water the troub-
lie with the dog is simply paralysis
of the throat. The mad dog shows
no fear of water. He will frequently
try to drink water If it is offered to
him.
Now when a dog begins to behave
queerIy keep him tied or locked IN
room to himself and watch his symp-
toms. If decided change of dfspo-
sition makes itself noticed it is time
to take precautions. This is one of
the early symptoms and it is always
followed by extreme restlessness, but
don't expect the dog with rabies to be
cross in all instances. The danger
Gus cases are those in which 1t shows
an extreme affection and dependence.
The most characteristic symptom Is
a change in the dogs voice, later con-
vuTsions and frothing at the mouth
will prove a developed case.
It is not necessary to kill the ami
NAL until it has shown symptoms.
which are indisputable because it
may get we'll and it is really not dan
gerous unless one gets in its way or
attempts to coerce it.
Now, here is another thing which
is a good thing to know about dogs
and their madness: The poison from
a rabid dog is not conveyed into the
human system through the blood, but
through the nerves. Pure nitric acid
dropped upon the wound is the anti
dote. 1t cauterizes the wound and
prevents the nerves from taking up
the virus. 1t is almost sure pre-
ventive of hydrophobia and is equal
ly good for the hysterical imitation.
lyssophobia So we advise it for all
dog bites.