Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1914-08-06
Rabies and Dog Days

men, city councils and town officials of
other kinds wake up from the most
absolute lethargy with regard to the
disease at this time, and, especially in
the smaller towns and country places,
pass ordinances and revive regulations
requiring dogs to be muzzled while on
the streets. This is all the more anus
ing because the term "dogdays" has
no reference to dogs, but is borrowed
from the Romans, who called Sirius,
the brightest of the fixed stars, the dog
star. At one time during the Roman
epoch, the rising of this star conceded
with the rising of the sun in the latter
part of July. The twenty days proceed
ing and the twenty days following this
conjunction were for the Romans, dies
CAMS, the days of the dog the dog
star. Rome had its fiercest heat usually
during this period; therefore, the time
was dreaded and came to have the re-
putation of an unhealthy season, though
not with any special reference to the
dogs of Rome. In our day the popula
meaning of the "dog-days" is that
dogs are especially likely to go mad at
this time. The consequence is that,
while the animals are made uncomfor-
table by nose muzzling, their discom-
ford is greatly added to by the foolish
dread which keeps people from giving
them water or caring for them proper
ly. Rabies may occur at any season OF
the year; the actual statistics show
greater frequency Of the disease dur
ing the winter than during the summer
months. It is most common in the
early spring, and March and April
would be much better time to select
for "dog-days" in the popular sense
than the weeks of July and August that
have by misrepresentation come to be
looked on as the special period Of
danger.
The recent Seattle epidemic shows
how much of real danger there is from
this disease when it gains foo hid
because of neglect of proper precau-
tons Surgeon Lloyd of the Public
Health Service recently reported that
up to the beginning of June there had
been 361 cases Of canine rabies in the
city of Seattle since the outbreak of
the disease began in September 1913
Up to this the disease had not been OBJ
served in Seattle.
This is what may occur practically
anywhere in this country if the infre-
quency Of the disease begets over con-
fdence and neglect. Although we dis
approve the infiction of unnecessary
suffering on animals, says The Journal
of the American Medical Association,
the popula" dread of dogs during the
misunderstood dog-days affords to
physicians an educational opportunity
too good to be lost. This is the time
when they may proftably emphasize
the need for special precautions with
regard to the spread of rabies. The
problem of the control of rabies is
mainly the care of stray animals and Of
those that have no proper owner, but
live more or less on the bounty of the
community. Careful registration of
animals and the destruction Of those for
which no one would assume response
bility to the extent of paying a yearly
license would greatly limit the disease.
The problem is simpler in England, but
the success in practically obliterating
the disease for the last twenty years
in that country shows what can be ac|
complished. We need intelligent, per-
sistent scientific interest to prevent
the spread of the disease and not the
annual attack of hysteria that inficts
cruelty without accomplishing any
good purpose.