The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-20
4RAB|ES" SUBJECT OF HEALTHDEPARTMENT WEEKLY BULLETIN Dr. Cunningham Gives lm- portant Information On
 Hydrophobia
 DO NOT KILL THE DOG" IS THE ADVICE GIVEN
If Animal Is Suspected, Immediate Steps Should Be Taken for Care full Cauterization of the
 Wound

City health officer pr. R. NJ. Cunning ham in his bulletin No. 17 this week dis cusses rabies or hydrophobia, which should prove of interest not only in Ala bama, but all over the state. He writes as follows:
 The word rabies" means madness; "hydrophobia" means fear of water. As all animals are mad or insane when at lacked, and as the fear of water is Tn them is not present, and as all people are not made or insane but all have fear of water" when attacked the word rabies" is usually confined to affected animals. and "hydrophobia' to affected man. The word rabies" however is preferable for both.
 Definition
 Rabies is an acute. specific, rapidly fatal infection communicated from 2 rsnad (mad) animal to a susceptible anlms usually through a wound prc6rced by biting. Man always contracts the disease from some lower animal, usually the dog The infective agent (virus) must be inoc- ulated into the tissues (hesh); the virus is harmless when ingested (swallowed) HaDleS may De IeSdIutQ dS e1 "SN@ t-- lection. The specific principle Svirus) IS contained in the saliva (spittle) of ami mals infected with the disease. Rose neau.
 The disease may be communicated when wounds from whatever source are licked by infected animals. The virus has not been identified. It is no doubt specific germ which is ultra -micoscopic" !" that is, too small for the most powerful microscope.
 Distribution of Virus In Body
 When bitten by mad animal the virus is confined to the wound. In variable period of time, determined by the sus- ceptiblity of the animal, the site of the wound and virulence of the infection, the virus, or it's poison, travels along the nerves or nerve sheath to the brain and spinal cord, where the definite specific lesions of the diseases are made, and dem onstrated under the microscope after death of the person or animal. After treating a section of the brain by certain methods, they appear under the micro scope as beautiful little red spots, called ''negri bodies" They are characteristic of the disease The virus has also been found in other tissues and fluids of the body. particularly the saliva. The disease can be artificially produced by inoecula- ton with an emulsion of the brain or spinal cord. These are practical facts ln the prevention of the disease. If the wound is promptly cauterized, the virus is destroyed there; if the Pasteur method of producing immunity Is employed before the virus or it's toxins reach the brain, the diseaes will not develop.
 Geological Distribution
 Every mamalian mursing) animal is susceptible to the disease. Even birds may contract the disease. It is most com mon in dogs. wolves. jackals, foxes and hyenas. Rabies in cats is compara- lively rare. Cattle, sheep. goats are in- fected relatively in about the same de- gree. It Is less common in horses, Swine contract the disease less frequently than other domestic animals. Skunks have the disease and sometimes transmit 1t to man."-Roseneau.
 As a practical proposition with us the most dangerous animal is the dog. The writer knows of one case of horse lte producing the disease. As a rule vegeta-