Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-08-18
ABOUT HYDROPHOBIA


it is rumored, one or two persons,
before it was killed by Poundkeeper
Coffey. The head was sent to the |
State Health Department, and a re-
port was received from that body |
Monday to the effect that the dog |
was afflicted with rabies, and adj
vising that persons and animals who
had been bitteen by 1t be subjected
to the Pasteur treatment at once.
The following article on rabies,
it's treatment, etc. by Or. John w.
Duke, State Commissioner of Health.
seems opportune:
"With the advent of the real hot
weather there is apt to be in scatter
ed localities over the State more or
less apprehension over rabies, or hy-
drophobia. There is less reason for
such apprehension than is generally
believed. although hydrophobia is
real and terrible disease and no pre-
there Is reason to suspect its exist
ence. Nevertheless there is no more
actual danger of hydrophobia in hot
than in cold weather. Dogs. like
human beings, may be more irrita-
BILE in extremely hot weather; in fact
they are likely to be. But dogs are
no more liable to rabies in hot wea-
ther. even during the so-called dog
days, than they are at other times of
the year. In fact. the records of the
State Board of Health show more
cases during some of the compare
lively cold months than in the sum
mer months.
"The only known way in which
Ihydrophobia has ever been transmit
ted to a human being is through the
bite of some animal, generally dog
already suffering from rabies. The
Virus which causes the disease seems
to exist in the saliva, rather than di-
rectly in the blood. Not every
person bitten by an animal with
the rabies has the hydrophobia. In
fact, one authority has estimated
that inly Is per cent of the persons
bitten by dogs suffering with rabies
themselves develop the same disease.
The percentage is higher in the case
of wolf bites. The nearer the bite
to the central nervous system the
greater the chance for the develop
ment of hydrophobia.
If possible, the dog which has bit
ten a person should not be killed
Immediately, but should be confined
under observation week or ten days
in order to give this disease a chance
to develop. If this si done an exam.
ination of the dogs brain will de-
termine whether or not the animal
has the rabies. If the animal is kill
ed before the rabies has an opport
unnity for development detection OI
the disease Is difficult. The do
should never be killed by shooting
through teh head, as this Otter
q makes an accurate examination i'm
possible. Prompt reports will b,
made by the State Board of Healtl
! on all dogs heads submitted to thu
Laboratory for examination. Cart
should be taken in the packing o
the head and il should be surround
ed by ice and sawdust. especially il
hot weather Too often heads ar
rive at the laboratory so decompos
: ed. owing to improper packing, tina
e no examination is possible.
Y Where there is the least suspi
J. cion that a person has been bittel
by a dog afflicted with rabies tn
Pasteur treatment should be taken
oh hn bn 80
of physician, but the treatment will
be furnished free of cost to person
unable to pay for it. Persons VIII
: can pay are expected to do so, but
Is the intent of teh State Board G
: Health that no resident of OklahC
n ma should be forced to go withou
n the treatment because of povert!
The Pasteur treatment Is a pract
cally certain cure for hydrophobi;
the per cent of persons taking tn
treatment and afterward developin
the disease being so small as to t
negligible.
Can rabies be eXterminated
There is only one possible answer
this question, and that is that II
dread disease can be conquered ju
as soon as the people of this cou
try think the conquest worth Will
This is not a theory Rabies hi
been driven out of Germany, De
mark, England Japan and 9th
countries. 1t was driven out by mu
zling the dogs. 1t can be driven o
in this country whenever the peop
believe that the lives and happine
of human beings are worth more
them than the comfort of dogs.
There is need for drastic actit
in fighting hydrOphobia, and this
shown by the number of cases a
nually reported in this and 9th
States. In one case which occurr
= in country town in OKLAHOMA II
summer a dog suffering from rabi
roamed about the country biting
other dogs, as well as several huns