Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-06-19
DR0PHOBTA PREVALENT
THROUGHOUT. STATE

1.-TWO hundred and fifty-three dogs
PADS have been examined in the State
apartment of Health Laboratory
nee last July (July /, 1924 to May
1885,, and of this number one
1ndred and forty-one animals were
bund to be affected with rabies (hy-
kophobia). Although the fiscal year
ILL not end until June 80, the number
Sf dogs heads examined and the num-
her of dogs found to be rabid already
yceed the examinations made during
he fiscal year of 1924; and more. than
&Vice as many examinations were
& ade that year than during any pre-
3 Ious year. These figures do not in
Iude the number of dogs heads ex-
amined at the Newark City Labora-
and the Hudson County Labora-
tory. No section of the State is en-
tirely free of the disease.
q 1t is not possible to determine ac-I
curately the number of persons bitten
Vby rabid animals, as "dog bite" is not
reportable to local or State health de-
partments, but, from data available,
between $50 and 800 persons were
obliged to take the Pasteur treatment
in this State during the year 1924 due
W L1tC UktEH III IdOlu 0OBSs HAS III
Cured financial outlay of thousands
fbf dollars for treatment, besides sub
kjecting those bitten and their families
Ito considerable mental anguish as
Ia result of their experience from an
Shttack of delirious dog suffering
from this fatal yet preventable dis
ease.
Rabies, or hydrophobia, is an infect
l.. II. Il
and the knowledge of its transmission
and control is SO well understood that
there is little excuse for its existence
hin any community. In the current
Snumber of the Public Health News,
ISSUED by the State Department of
Health, it is stated that in order to
&prevent the spread of rabies there are
Two methods known that, if rigidly
hnd persistently enforced, would prac-
IEically Danish this disease from the
State. First, there must be an effective
ound-up and impounding of all stray
*iogs, and the effective muzzling of all
Hogs allowed to run at large at all
easons, particularly when rabies is
#prevalent.
~ The second method is the injection
dogs with anti-rabic vaccine to
Ader them immune to rabies. This
preventive treatment confers immun-
5ity upon the dog SO treated for at least
Zone year in large percentage of
ceases, and no valid objection can be
PRAISED to this method on the ground
Aof cruelty to dogs, as in the case of
3muzzling. Treatment with anti-rabic
vaccine is an inexpensive, simple,
&painless procedure, consisting of an in
lection under the skin of 5 C. C. (about
teaspoonful Of vaccine for dog
weighing forty pounds or less). The
value of this method of immunization
of dogs has been proved, both by lab
oratory experiments and in practice.
Ordinances providing for the COM
8pulsory incubation Of dogs have been
{adopted by few municipalities in
this State, but unless this method of
prevention is made to apply to all
sections of the State by an act of the
Legislature, rabies will continue to be
prevalent and those few communities
that have adopted this measure of pre-
caution will not derive all the protec-
ton to which they are entitled, for
they will still be subjected to the in
vasion of rabid dogs from adjoining
municipalities where such measures
are not in force.