Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-03-18

During the past month the state
board of health has furnished free of
charge over forty Pasteur treatments
for persons bitten by dogs suspected
of having hyprophobia. Where the
patient is able To pay for this treat
meut he is expected TO do SO. Where
he cannot pay Tor this treatment, or
payment would involve severe hard-
ship, the treatment is furnished Tree
of charge by the state board of health.
The board does not grudge TINS treat
ment and does not wish mat "a slnble
man woman or child needing the
treatment should be deprived of 1t on
account of inability to pay. ON the
other hand, the treatment Is tNpeh-
slNC and II is not fair to the taxpayers
that 50 large an expense should be IN
CURED II IT can be reduced or aVolueu
by proper care and precautions on the
part OF the local authorities. IN one
town in this state, where thefe nave
been an unusual number OF persons
bitten by dogs. an inspector OF the
state board of health has been de-
tailed TO make "A thoro investigation
and to impress on the local authorl-
ties the necessity for taking measures
| TO remedy existing CONDITIONS ol
course. many persons bitten, even by
supposedly mad dogs. never ueNelop
any symptoms of ny drophobla Tor inc
/ reason that a large proportion OF the
dogs suspected of having the RABIES
are not suffering from the disease;
/ For instance only about one in tlNe OF
the dogs heads examined recently III
| the laboratory of the state board oI
| health were found positive lwlth
! SYMPTOMS of rabies) the remaining
! four. .fifths being negative tWlthout
symptoms of rabies). In auuitioh hot
even every person bitten by "a rapld
dog deVelopes hydrophobia. carer lul
| Investigation of many cases shoNo .
that about 80 per cent OF the peiso
and animals bitten by rablds aniiilals
develop hydrophobia. Inc peicer'"s
of cases is larger following bltes ny
n wolf than by a dog. or course. this
percentage Will vary, depending upon
Il The location and size of the wound, as
well as the amount OF hemorrhabe
1 produced and various other conui-
Il tions. In general the nearer the pitc
is located to the central nervous sya-
tcm and the deeper the Wouhu, t t.o
greater the danger. In caSeS Whel
the hcmorrhage resuitihs TON. ION ~, H. -
wound is profuse there is posslDlhty
that tho virus will be washed out Oh
Inc wound and thus obviate the can =
COR of subsequent appearance OF INC
disease.
Time of Development variable.
The virus after being deposi.e ed III
the wound remains latent Tor an eN-
tremely aliable time, which also uc1,
pends upon the nature OF the Wouhd
and the amount of virulent saliva IN
reduced. Statistics collected from a
| great number of cases showed tha'
Il The neriod between the bite ana tho
II first appearance of symptoms ol
/ hydrophobia varied from IA to Zoo
days The majority of cases. now
/ ever. contract the disease IN IRON
three weeks to three months dlte'
the bite.
There is absolutely no question tha'
hydrophobia can be eliminated by the
muzzling of dogs. The experiment
has been tiled in number oil coui,
1ries and always with the same result
In England law was passed ior M Mthe
muzzlng of dogs. Witnin lie"
months there was a marked decrease
in the number of cases OF nydro
phobia: before long it had pracucailS
disappeared Because OF agitation bJ
n society having the interest OF AM
mails too much at heart the law was
repealed. Immediately hydrophoola
increased Again the law was put II
force, this time permanently, with th'
result that hydrophobia Is practicallS
unknown in England. Belgium pc
fore the war, Denmark Holland
Sweden. Norway and Australia nave
practically eliminated hydrophobia bJ
II The same measures.