The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-08-07
Dog DAYS HERE
WATCH THE DOG
Health Department Sounds
Warning to Report
All Bites"
DOGS DON'T LIKE HEAT

The hot days of summer, co. monty
known as "dog days." are here.
Those days are the ones, many be-
lieve, when cases of rabies are the
most common, but statistics do not
bear out that belief, health department
officials say.
Nevertheless, the Kenosha health de-
partment deems the subject of hot
weather coupled with animal bites of
sufficient Importance to sound warn
ing and to broadcast the advice to re-
port all animal bites to the health de-
partment Immediately. 1t deals with
that disease in this weeks bulletin.
By swapping and biting, says the
doctor, the dogs express themselves
and their feelings in hot weather.
Going into the subject he says:
.'The hot days of summer, COM
monty known as dog days., are gen
orally believed to be the time when
most of the cases of rabies or hy-
drophobia may be expected. Medical
statistics do not bear this out. But
there is probably good reason to be-
lieve that dogs and other animals in
common with human individuals are
more irritable in hot weather simply
because they are more uncomfortable.
The human individual is usually con-
tent with verbal reaction to an irri-
tating stimulus, whereas the so-called
lower animals being deprived of the
power of speech express themselves
by biting and swapping.
HJXTb;1a b1b 10 t,V,,c,tu "
prevalent during hot weather it is
nevertheless wise to take certain pre-
cautions against it at all times. A per-
son bitten by an animal should al
ways have immediate attention because
the mouths of animals carry bacteria
and infection may result from bites.
The necessary care should be given by
physician in order to insure safety.
However, in the event Of inability to
reach physician the best treatment
for bites is the application of tincture
of iodine, not only upon the bite but
into the deepest portions of the injury.
Even after such emergency treatment
medical attention should be had.
"The animal biting a person should
at once be isolated and chained but
should be treated kindly and given
plenty of food and water. The com
mon name for rabies, hydrophobia, is
a relic of the misconception that rabid
animals are afraid of water. This is
not the fact, the truth being that the
disease makes them unable to swallow
and they cannot therefore take water
or anything else. Rabies is a disease
of the brain resulting in an original
stage of excitement, during which the
biting occurs, and a final stage of
paralysis leading to death. It is I'M
wise to kill an animal Immediately
after it has bitten someone because the
diagnosis of rabies depends upon the
Identification of certain structures
called Negri bodies in the brain. The
development of these takes a certain
length of time. It is customary to
hold an animal for ten days during
which time the disease will develop
definitely if at all. 1t may then be
killed and the examination, whether
positive or negative, will be depend
able.
when rabies is discovered in an
animal that has bitten some one or
where the disease is prevalent in a
community the person bitten should
be protected by the Pasteur treatment
which is a perfect protection against
the disease though it is not cure
when rabies has developed"