Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-25
SECRETARY OF STATE HEALTH
DoARo SUGGESTS MuzzLlNa
OF DOGS.
CANNES DO NOT SUFFER
IF PROPERLY EQUIPPED
Persons Bitten Should Receive Pasteur
Treatment at onee-Rabiss Not Sea.
sonabIe Disease and May Prevail at
Any Time-An Expensive and un.
necessary Disease.
Special to Times-Republican.

d
Des Moines, Aug. 25.-There have
been so many cases Of rabies over the
state of late that DR.. G. H. Sumner, of
the state board of health. has just is
sued circular with reference to the
disease and its prevention. Many cases
have been treated at Iowa City during
the summer.
Dr. Sumner declares that persons
Pasteur treatment Immediately. A dog
the least bit sick should be watched
with great care lest he be suffering
from the disease. If there is the slight
est suspicion about the dog which has
bitten a person, the Iowa state board
of health laboratory at the State Uni
versity, Iowa City, should be con-
suited. DR.. Henry Albert Is the di-
rector of this laboratory. Under his ad-
vice the dog may be killed and its head
sent to the laboratory where it can be
examined.
1.-THE expense ought to be charged
against the person owning the dog, and,
should he be unable to pay. the public
should furnish the funds" declares DR..
Sumner in his statement issued today.
This is sound teaching from an eco
nomical as well as from a sanitary
standpoint and will tend to reduce the
number of unmuzzled dogs to the mini
mum. A community which does not
properly protect its citizens should pay
for any damage they sustain from lack
Of such protection.
Not SeasonabIe Disease.
Rabies, or hydrophobia," explains
DR.. Sumner, prevails at all seasons
and is about as frequent in winter as
In summer. Not every dog infected
runs wild on the streets foaming at
the mouth, for in not few instances
the animal seems but slightly sick and
Is only little restless. These cases
are very dangerous as their owners are
liable to caress the animal at such
times and become infected.
1.-THE most important step in the pre-
vention Of this disease Is to have all
dogs muzzled whenever they are on the
public streets. no matter whether they
are in the leash, tie string, or not. This
is quite common In foreign countries
-Europe-and in every case where it
has been done the disease has prac-
tically disappeared.
Some of our people may object on
sentimental grounds to the use of muz-
Eles, but it is necessary and if properly
fitted the dog is not injured in the least
and will be saved from many a bite
from his fellows"
DR.. Albert says that rabies, also
called hydrophobia, is an expensive
and an unnecessary disease. 1t is on
the increase in Iowa as it is in most of
the states Of the union.
THE Pasteur treatment has largely
robbed rabies Of its terrors." declares
DR.. Albert Previous to 1886, when
the treatment was first begun at the
Pasteur Institute AT Far;s. the mortal
ity from rabies or persons bitten by
rabid. or presumably rabid animals,
was Is per cent. Since that time more
than 10000 persons have received the
preventive treatment at the Paris In
stitute with q mortality Of only IS of l
per cent"
The administration of the Pasteur
treatment for the prevention of rabies
was begun by the Iowa state board Of
health laboratory in 1909. The board
advises that patients should begin the
treatment as soon as possible after
having been bitten by a mad" dog.
Stray. ownerless dogs are the princi-
pa, offenders, not only in spreading ra-
bies. but in doing harm to live stock.
The state board believes that wherever
rabies il present in given place all
dogs permitted to run at large should
be kept muzzled for a period of at least
six months after the disappearance Of
the last case from the locality.