Milford chronicle., 1932-05-06
"CONFINE THE RABIES TO
SUSSEX

! 0OhhnC NAN ANeDACo " OhpOOA
brings to the attention of the public
not only an important disease con.
troll problem, but a subject upon
which there is certain information
which the public has right to know
and understand. The Boards and
/ Commissions charged with the con-
/ troll of rabies are overlooking a very
/ important phase of the control prob
lem. In their zeal to protect human
life, the dog, which is the carrier"
animal, is being inadequately pro-
tected, whereas, if this animal was
fully protected. rabies would be an
easily controlled disease. Since ra-
bies is primarily a disease Of dogs
efforts to control it, if they are to be
successful, must approach the prob
lem from the standpoint of the dog.
Since there are many lovers of
dogs in Delaware and up to the
present time, the dog, from the dogs
point of view, has not been heard
from, the public may be interested in
knowing what the well informed dog
if he could express himself
would have to say upon this sub
ject.
Old Rover Tells The Story
My name is Rover and / am a tax
payer of the State of Delaware and,
therefore, assume that l have a right
to express my views upon the sub
ject of rabies and rabies control.
Each year my master, along with
many other dog owners, pays to the
State one dollar dog tax; and
ask you-what do we dogs get out
of this? If there were no dogs in
Delaware there would be no dog tax.
yet rabies would continue to be
human health problem for reasons l
will explain later.
We dogs do not object to paying
this tax, but we believe we are en-
titled to derive some benefit from it
even though it may be very small
part of the dollar. Paying game conf
missiOners to see that we are kept |
tied affords us very little if any pro-
lection against rabies. 1t is we'll |
known that many dogs confined on |
their own premises have been in
fected with rabies due to receiving
a bite by dog with the disease COM
ing onto the premises. This is the |
only way in which we can contract |
the disease under natural cOndi-
tions. The tying or confining of dogs /
is not an effective control measure, !
unless it includes all dogs and in
cludes large area, because dogs in
fected with rabies often times travel
long distances from home.
A dog tied in his own yard in Sus-
sex may be bitten by a Tabid dog
coming from Kent, New Castle,
or Maryland. If the
wound inflicted by the rabid dog is
slight one it will be entirely healed
within a few days and the owner
nay not know his dog has received
his wound. Such a dog appears per-
ectly normal for a period of two to
iix weeks. But this is the period of
incubation of the disease, during
which time the virus (cause) of ra-
lies, which was present in the saliva
If the rabid dog, and which got into
he wound, is slowly working its
way up the nerve trunks to the brain
md spinal cord. This process re-
uires a few weeks. When the virus
caches the brain ii brings ON a
tate of nervousness or mild delir-
um. This the owner may or may not
bserve. The delirium causes theAdog
o have an uncomfortable desire to
ravel or roam. Unless very securely
led he will leave home, but if he
annOt escape he becomes a source
f danger to his own household.
logs never known to leave the home
cannot resist the desire TO
oam when infected with rabies.
In this delirium the dog will roam
Dr several days sometimes getting
S far as a hundred miles or more
rom home. During this state any
hing which attracts the dogs atten- III
on and comes close to its head the III
Og has an uncomfortable desire to II
nap or bite. In this delirium he may Iii
ven bite his master or the hand II
lat feeds him. Naturally this wan II
ering dog is attracted to animals
his own species. and so in passing III
Y yard or farm where q dog is III
ed or enclosed in yard he goes up Ill
, this dog but when he comes close III
} the dog the uncomfortable. desire III
|, bite Overcomes him and he bites III
le dog. If a fence separates the
)gs the wound inflicted will not be III
we're but sufficient to cause infec
OH with rabies. If the dog is only II
ed a serious fight may be precipi-
ted. The rabid dog may or may III
It be really vicious, often he is not,
Id if he can escape he will do so in III
der to continue his roaming. Dur HI
g the course of his travels he may III
te children, dogs, cattle, horses, II
vine or sheep. HI
After a few days the delirium sub III
des, the brain clears and he at III
mpts to return home. In this he iii
ay not be successful as frequently HI
is killed either in a fight or by iii
rsOn. AS the delirium passes il is iii
cceeded by a state of paralysis. If J:
e dog succeeds in getting home he ~
ay be coming down with the par
ysis and his owner rejoicing at his =
turn observes the partial paraly-
5 and concludes the dog was
ruck by an automobile. After dayj
two the paralysis terminated in
ath. The symptoms in all lasting
Out one week. In some cases the
ralysis appears early in the dis
sc and is not preceded by the de-
'ium Curious rabies). In the par-
ytic form, sometimes called dumb
bies" the first muscles involved
-