The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-22

A reader says ne clips many Of the articles In this colutn for pre- servation or reference, finds some of them helpful but he fears my anti-rables campaign may prove disastrous. He has positively seen one death from the effects of bites hy a mad dog. A girl tried to de- fend her younger sister from at tack by a vicious dog, was bitten on hands, legs and body. Three weeks later she became violently i'll in school, was taken home, had one it after another and died. The reader says he believes I should arr rive ct conclusion in line with that of my medical colleagues who believ in rabies. L. G0
 I'm sorry I can't. For many years I have studied ali the evidence l could find and today, if I were bitten by a dog or wounded or scratched by an animal one or more good physicians believed suffering with rabies, would not willingly take Pasteur treatment. I'd have less fear of the consequences of going without Pasteur treatment than l have of Pasteur virus itself or the material so-called.
 From the readers description of the case which he evidently believes was human rabies, wonder wheth- CT the girl died of tetanus Cock- jaw).
 Tetanus bacilli( germs of lock- jaw) are natural inhabitants of the intestinal tract of horses, cattle and other animals, and according to scientific investigation are present in the intestinal tract in about one person in every four.
 Owing to the habits of dogs it is more than likely that the mouth of g dog is contaminated by tetanus bacilli.
 Therefore any wound by e dog or for that matter any bite or scratch by any bird or animal that may possibly be contaminated by soil, soil polluted by animal drop pings, should be regarded as Q por- tai of entry for tetanus bacilli, and in every such case the immediate first aid should include not only careful disinfection of the wound by a physician (not the vicious couter- lzation so sternly ordered by old- time health officers) but @ pryphy- lastic injection of anti-tetanus ser- um, and a second injection of anti tetanus serum five days to a week later.
 Here is the only answer I can conscientiously give to any injury as to what should be done in case of a bit, scratch or wound by a dog or other animal: Have the wound treated by your physician at once, and then do as your physician advises. You may write, telephone or telegraph--I vii ltell you noth- ing lese in any circumstance.
 The specific organism or germ of rabies has never been discovered. The descriptions of human rabies in textbooks and medical literature strongly suggest that the disease so-called is actually tetanus Clock- jaw). do not pretend to know it is tenants. This is merely my be- lief.
 QUESTIONS and ANSWERS
 Postcards Unanswered
 There are always a few corre- spondents who ignore the rules and then complain bitterly that pr. Brady does not answer. Lately for some reason postcards have mount ed in number. pr. Brady gladly gives his time and knowledge, but he expects the correspondent to pay the postage. Please inclose with your query 8 stamped envelope bearing your address. Otherwise Dr. Brady asuInes you do not want to reply by mail.
 Minimum and Optlmal
 The estimates of the daily require ment of vitamin 0 in your article was 500 units, but all of the ex- amples you gave read 1900 units. Is that c misprint? (F. A. P.)
 Arswer-50O units of vitamin Q is the minimum daily requirement. to prevent manifestations of scurvy. The optimal daily rationenough to