Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-05-07
HeaItL
A<nuty
THE DEVOTED FRIEND OF MAN

tConcluded)
Rabies is not only one of the most
feared diseases of which we have any
knowledge, but it is really one of the
most terrible.
The great scientist, Pasteur, con-
quered rabies, and taught us how to
avoid it, if we will only follow his
methods. He began by collecting saliva
from two mad dogs, and also from a
little girl who had died from the dis
| ease; and with that saliva he %inocui-
ated rabbits. The rabbits were dead
within Sc hours. Pasteur made further
experiments along the same line and
found that it was the germ that causes
pneumonia that killed the rabbits; for
rabies would not cause death So
promptly. He then took some of the
brain substance from a dog that had
Just died of rabies, and put it under
the skins of other animals. Most OF
these animals developed rabies, which
convinced Pasteur that the disease was
caused from a virus that attacked the
nervous system, particularly the brain.
He then put virus directly on the
brains of the experimental animals
and in this way found out how long
it took the disease to develop after the
bite.
Pasteur now launched out on a long
and painstaking series of experiments,
in order to immunize human beings
and animals against rabies. This could
only be done by vaccination. 1t con-
sisted of the 10Y familiar procedure OF
weakening virulent germs to the point
at which they do not produce a dis
ease, but set up within the body sub
stances that protect it against the ac-
tive germs. When he succeeded in per-
fecting this process, he injected the
weakened virus into dogs and allowed
them to be bitten by mad dogs. None
of the bitten dogs developed the dis
ease. This was in May, 1884. Pasteur
after hundreds of experiments, asked
the French government to verify his
findings. Six eminent physicians spent
six months in vaccinating dogs with
Pasteurs prepared virus and watching
the results. They reported in August
that the results were magnificent.
Dogs could now be protected against
rabies. Oh, if a way could be found to
prevent the disease from developing
in people who had been bitten. He now
began experimenting on animals that
had been bitten.
All through the winter of 1884-1885
he continued his work on dogs. But he
was afraid to try treating a human
who was bitten. But it was forced upon
him. On July 6, 1885, a woman brought
him her 8 year old son, Joseph Meist-
er, who had been bitten Ia times by a
furious mad dog. They had come from
Alsace to consult the great scientist.
Pasteur felt that the child faced GER
tain death, and that he would lose
nothing by trying the method that had
been so successful with dogs. They
gave Joseph his first dose that night.
Each day he received an injection,
which became stronger and stronger.
Pasteur was under a terrific strain,
but the boy continued to remain well
and happy. Pasteur could not sleep so
anxious was he, though the boy slept
peacefully.
At last Pasteur could write late in
August, Il now possess perfect pro-
phylaxis against this terrible disease,
which protects human beings and dogs
alike"
All dogs should be inoculated
against rabies. If this were done, the
disease could be stamped out.