The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-04-14
RABIES (HYDROPHOBIAy

|
er there are apt to be in scattered To-
calities over the State more or lesa
apprehension over rabies or hydro
phobia. There is less reason for such
apprehension than is generally be-
lieved, although rabies is a real and
terrible disease, and no precaution
should be omitted where there 10 any
reason to suspect its existence.
Nevertheless there is no more ac-
tual danger Of rabies in hot weather
than in cold weather. Dogs may be
more irritable in extremely hot
weather, in fact they are likely to be,
but dogs are no more liable to rabies
in hot weather, even during the So
called dog days" than they are at
other times Of the year. The only way
in which rabies ever has been trans
mitted to human being Is from the
bite of some animal, generally a dog
already suffering from rabies. Not
every person bitten by an animal de-
velops rabies, in fact one authority
has estimated that only fifteen per
cent of persons bitten by rabid dogs
develop the disease. The nearer the
bite to the nervous systm, the greater
the chance for development of rabies.
II possible, the dog which has bit
ten a person should not be killed i'm
mediately but should be confined un-
der observation a week or ten days
in order to give the disease a chance
to develop in the animal. BY waiting
this period Of seven or ten days to
definitely determine II the animal has
rabies is the best way to determine
Il Pasteur treatment should be given
and 1t will also be sufficient time to
administer the Pasteur treatment. n
this is done, examination of the dogs
brain will determine whether or not
IT had rabies. If the animal Is killed
before the disease has opportunity for
development. detection of rabies Is
difficult. The dog should never be
killed by shooting through the head,
as this often makes an accurate ex-
impossible. Prompt reports
will be made by the State Board of
Health on all dogs heads sent to the
Laboratory for examination. Care
should be taken in the packing of the
head and it should be surrounded by
ice and sawdust, especially in hot
weather.
Where there is suspicion that
person has been bitten by a rabid dog
he Pasteur treatment should be tax
IN Persons who can pay arc ex-
)ected to do so, but it is the intent of
he State board of health that no res
dent OF Florida should be forced to
20 without the treatment because of
poverty. The Pasteur treatment is d
practically certain preventive Of the
abies, the percentage OF persons TAX
ng the treatment and later develop
ng the disease being so small as to
'e negligible.
Can rabies be exterminated? There
only one possible answer 10 this
uestion, that is, that the dread dis
ase can be conquered just as soon
S the people of the country think
ne conquest worth while. II has
cen driven out of other countries
nd IL can be driven out of this coun-
ry whenever the people believe that
ne life and happiness of human be-
lgs are worth more than the COM
ort of dogs. That there is need for
rastic action in fighting rabies is
hown by the number of cases annu-
lily reported to this and other states.
facing license tag on the dog has
ielded good results in other coun-
ries, hence it should be made obli-
atory, as establishing the responsi-
ility of the owner of the dog.
THE ROMANCE OF THE NICKEL