The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-22
Wt//IE AND LEASU.


To THE EpiToR OF THE SUN-Sir: I
have read carefully tho news article puU-
lisu'd ~ TuE St'S Of September II ia re-
gard To- the ruling Of the Health Depart
mcut on the muz2llng ~ dogs and the
"hnal statement by the present Commits
siourr If Health and ! beg to question
some ~ the sentiments and ideas therein
contained.
II is not reasonable to- believe that this
drastic measure viii accomplish the de-
sired end, for II one turns tu page 369 ~
Professor bsirTs text book ON principles
and Practice 81 Medicine" G9i2J, he
finds that tho dog is not the only suutce
OF Infection, nut tDtt the wolf fox, skunk,
cat horse and COW, To say nothing Of the
rabbit, pig ANA other animals are sus-
ceptihlc to rabies and capable of prOpd-
gatiug the disease 10 eradicate dis
ease one must get at the original source
OF coutlgion. and do not note that our
Health Commissioner gives any attention
20 the source from which the dogs receive
their Infection. II his crusade were d.
rooted equally against eats. rats and mice,
dog owners would not feel 50 disturbed
by the position ho assumes. Or Gold
waters assertion, 81 am myself fond OF
dogs ~ mot convincing
tie says that In given time 5000 dogs
were examined, ~ which there were 600
| suspicious aud 26S positive. total Of
] s6s or about Il per cent. OF ALL yet only
I $50 persons were enough alarmed I" tax,
| the pdst.ur treatment We have no way
| ~ knowing how many ~ these would have
contracted the disease had they not done
/ ~. l. myself. sent tWO patients for treat
! ment Notwithstanding negative PATHOLOGY
| cal findings
Osler quotes Horslcy t. the effect that
/ not more than - p,r cent of those bitten
! by rdbld dogs br'omc affected with the
! disease. Therefore. with sucu figures We
] ftt.t ..sfft. f...r ..r al those ,N
| amlu,d were suspicious aud less than >
per cent positive, and II llursley's state
/ mcnt is correct. 10 per cent. of 26s,
or only abou, forty people out Of 5000
/ or go per cent, bitten Gould have com
/ t~actod tho disease. notwithstanding the
/ fact That $50 received treatment Or
| Goldwatcr does not give the total number
81 deaths. note that ne quotes methods
! employed ia German Cities yvt ! under
stand that last spring the muZ2lIng law
/ was removed in Berlin, and II II gen
I orally accepted fact that In England tnc
/ quarantine regulation Is responsible for
the eradication OF this terrible disease.
l. too, naturally advocate every effort
to protect human life. hut also advocate
the humane treatment Of animals, and
as I have had much experience with dogs
/ am convinced that In most instances
the mu22le and the leash do much I,
| make the dog cross and antagouistic. Tia,
/ Bpiri OF HeaIth may not feel tNtt the
| Pasteur treatment as preventive o
I rabies before Infection takes plIc" Is oI
mu IA value. sun this method ~ vaccind
| tiou is practi~cd at the institute herr
and in Paris. and as far as can md ON
1t is protection for between two an,
| three years.
have patient who had n dog in
| Oculated last spring. The dog was bitter
by another dog That died of rabies, an,
the yaccnated dog is perfectly we'll anC
healthy to-day. OF course lhis is only one
case and II may not fan within the pei
cent mentioned above, hut It would seen
to point out reasonable course TO pur
sue In my opinion. a general mrzzl'
law by itself is an unscienthc method o
endeavoring to attain an end at the eN
pense Of others and the dumb animals
that are our hest friends.
FEMowEs DAVIS, Jr, N. u.
NEw YORK, September 90.