The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-25
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

ern Club side, when shot rang out in che air, and naturally paused
 | Looking across the street towards hishteentn street sav-a crowd gathered, and found that q policeman had been called to shoot a d)s which was suspect ed of having rao!es. The pistol was still smoking while the dog was Gyng. 1 l have told this to bring UT the question of hydrophobia, in which l believe. yet years ago in Paris. when Pasteurs Insti- ute was opened, and scientists from all fparts of the word were in attendance, another professor in the medical school, almost in it's sha1 ow, was denying. ,nat there was any suc1 thing.
 l But personally I am for Pasteur insti- tutes, and would certainly patronize one if occasion should arise in which a dog suspected of being mad had bitten me or any of my family. 1 have set down this mucn for fear someone might accuse me of fearing to commit myself in the matter of innoculation against dog bites became a convert more than thirty years ago to the -'asteur treatment. l realize that many a poor dog is shot on suspicion, but I think it much better that many innocent dogs die rather than 10 nave one man.. woman or child lose their lives through the unspeakably hor- Irible death from hydrophobia. This may bring me into disrepute with some mem- bers of the Humane Society and dog fam ciers, but I'll not worry, for I am in sym pathy with the crusade of the health oe- partment in warning people. to be on the lookout for dogs acting in.arcurious way.
 
 I am not competent to give the latest medical information about hydrophobia. and yet because it is according to those in position to speak with authority pressing danger in our midst, at the risk which any laymen takes in writing about medical affairs, I am going to try and set down at least some of the things which have been held in regard to rabies and the need to be on guard against it.
 
 While there may be a wide divergence Ol OpiHiO1l III lHe IncQ1Cdl WOrlQ Tn regard to the nature and origin of hydrophobia, it is a disease that is communicated by a bite from raoid animal; and it is nearly always caused by the bite of a dog; but other animals. the jackaI in In- dia, the wolf in Russia, fox, cat, COW. deer, horse. pig and even man himself may give it to another.
 The exact nature of the contagion is un- known, but it has been determined that it is in the saliva, although it has been found in the periphera1 nerves, the pam creas and the suprarenal gland. I said above that hydrophobia was communi- cated by a bite from an infected animal or person. but it has been held that it can also be produced by wounds in- cured during the dissection of rabid ani- mals, or eating the flesh of animals dying with the disease; and even the milk of stockings, animals as we'll as human, by some are claimed to be infectious
 The chief symptoms in dogs may be divided into two classes. furious ans dumb rabies. In the furious Pasteur held that the brain was involved in the latter the spinal chord; but something else may have been found out since his famous ex- periments. All l know is that when 1 visited his labratory I was of the opinion that there was no such thing as dumb" rabies, for it seemed to me as if every dog was triyng to out-growl his neighbor,
 
 
 The furious form of the disease shows (D period of melancholy or depression; @ period of irritation (S) a period of | paralysis. The first varies from a few 1 hours to two days, the dog being restless and cross, shifting his position frequently l and sullenly obeying his master. At first 1 his appetite may not be affected, but soon l fails, when he may lick or bite every | thing in sight, and swallowing all sorts | of foreign bodies. This usually lasts l three or four days. During the running spells they are apt | o be fearless and rarely avoid animals | -r persons. snapping or biting both- If l ,aged they tear and chew on the bars. 1 and the bark is notified into peculiar | nowl. During the third or paraiytic pe -iod the dog is more subdued and sullen; he lower jaw is paralyzed and hangs l Town, saliva dripping from the mouth; | he gait ia staggering; from the fourth o the eighth day after the onset he dies ,f paralysis or exhaustion.
 
 In dunno rabies the characteristic second stage may be entirely absent, the most | persistent feature oemg the dropped lower aw, the paralysis of it in the latter tages preventing the dog from biting. Beware of a dog that becomes listless and 'ull and hides away, is always on the go, |. rowling about and restless; one that is |, ullen and walks with his head down like , bear; or one that scrapes necessarily |. md tears things up, and one that sud- lenly becomes excessively fond of its i, master, desiring to lick his hands and ace. A dog that seems to have trouble n swallowing. as if he had a bone in |, lis throat, or. having wandered away i, rom home. returning covered with dirt. xhausted and miserable should be put lnder locx and key.
 
 Now, because hydr aphobia coming from he Greek word meaning fear of water" many try out the water test which so sense, as he frequently IS fond of it.