RABIES IN COLUMBUS.

H. C. RUTTER, ERNEST SCOTT AND JOHN D. DUNHAM.

The committee, appointed by the Columbus Academy of Medicine, to investigate the existence and extent of rabies in the city of Columbus, and report with such suggestions and recommendations as seem to them best for its amelioration and prevention, submitted at the January 2d meeting the following report which was indorsed by R. C. Tarbell, J. E. Brown and Charles J. Shepard, Press Committee of the Academy:

EXISTENCE OF RABIES DOUBTED.

Very few persons of the present time have the temerity to doubt the existence of a disease known as hydrophobia in man, and rabies in the animal. Yet, notwithstanding the overwhelming evidences to the contrary, a doubting Thomas is occasionally found who still remains unconvinced, in the face of thousands of complete demonstrations, that have been made in all parts of the world, not only proving its existence, but, in addition, showing a fairly complete knowledge of its pathology and clinical history. It is unnecessary to go into details to prove this fact, but it may be well to make the broad statement that all, or nearly all, of the nations of the world have officially recognized it, and most of them have taken steps looking toward its amelioration and prevention.

FORTY-NINE CLINICAL CASES REPORTED LAST YEAR.

During the year 1904 the following veterinary surgeons of this city have reported rabies as follows: Dr. Brown, 14 cases; Dr. Hillock, 20 cases; Dr. Carl, 12 cases; Dr. Simons, 2 cases; and, in addition, Dr. Griffith reports one case, making in all 49 cases of rabies reported by the veterinary surgeons and Dr. Griffin. In these cases the diagnosis was clinical and no laboratory tests were made to prove it. At the O. S. U. laboratory 22 cases were reported, in all of which postmortem examinations were made, and were said to show the ganglionic changes characteristic of the disease. Inoculations of rabbits resulted in the death of the animals with all the symptoms of rabies.

These observations were made by Dr. Phillips of the O. S. U. laboratory. Dr. Paul Fisher, state veterinarian, reported rabies present in 27 counties in the year 1903. We are informed by reliable authority that a number of dogs were bitten in December by a dog proved by laboratory tests to be rabid. These dogs were all living in the North Side of Columbus, but have not been identified, so that it is impossible to find and isolate them.

SEVENTY-ONE CASES IN THE CITY LAST YEAR.

It will be seen that 71 cases of rabies have been reported during the year 1904 in the city of Columbus, although we have reports of only two persons in the city having been bitten by any of the animals, and these cases were promptly sent to the Pasteur institute in Chicago for treatment, where they failed to develop any evidences of hydrophobia.

RABIES EPIDEMIC MAY COME FIRST OF YEAR.

The period of incubation averages about three months, so that if any cases resulted from these dogs bitten in November and December, we may expect an epidemic of rabies about the latter part of January, February and March, so that common prudence would indicate that precautionary measures of some kind be taken to prevent an outbreak of rabies about that time. There is but one way to prevent rabies from increasing, and for stamping it entirely out, and that is to muzzle all dogs for a certain length of time, everywhere in the country.

CONDITIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Some years ago a commission appointed in Great Britian to report upon the subject of rabies, its cause, treatment and prevention, made a most exhaustive investigation of the subject, and their report embodied some exceedingly valuable suggestions for stamping out the disease. They unanimously reported in favor of compulsory muzzling of all dogs. The recommendations of the commission were carried into effect with the following results: In the year 1887 there were 217 cases reported; in 1888, 160; in 1889, 312. In the last mentioned year muzzling was adopted, and the number fell to 129 in 1891, and to 38 in 1892. The muzzling was then stopped. In 1893 there were 93 cases; in 1894, 248, and in 1895, 672. Muzzling

was again resorted to, and in 1896 there were 438; in 1897, 151; in 1898, 17, and in 1899, 9, and in 1900 none.

The same experience was had in Berlin, where no cases have occurred since 1883, when muzzling became imperative. The law is uniform in its operation throughout the German empire.

MUZZLING SUCCEEDS IN HOLLAND.

In Holland, before 1875, rabies was prevalent to a very serious extent, but in July of that year the use of the muzzle was ordered, with the result that in the autumn the number of cases fell to 41; in the next year there were 55 cases; in 1877 there were 14, and in 1878, 4, and in 1879 there were 3. These, and the few cases which have occurred on or near the frontier of Belgium, where muzzling is not practiced, although rabies is always prevalent, are the only cases which have occurred in that country.

In Sweden rabies was at one time rather common, from 8 to 10 people dying from hydrophobia every year, but since the enforcement of muzzling hydrophobia has become unknown, no deaths from that cause having occurred since 1870. For muzzling to be effective, however, it must be universal.

If all of the dogs in Columbus were muzzled all of the time, there would be little danger of hydrophobia, but the moment the muzzles were removed the danger would be as great as. ever. It must be remembered that the rabid dog is likely to become a stray dog, since it is the habit of many animals affected with rabies to go away from home, pursuing an uncertain course sometimes 50 miles or more from home, biting other dogs and animals and sometimes human beings with whom they come in contact. Hence it is that the rabid dogs we most frequently meet with are stray dogs, having become stray and homeless after the disease attacked them. So that, even if rabies should be completely stamped out of Columbus, these stray animals coming into the city might inoculate a large number of dogs before they are discovered and destroyed. Until uniform regulations are adopted throughout the whole country for the universal muzzling of all dogs, we may be obliged to be content with other means of prevention, and, fortunately, these means are within the reach of the community. A few rules, if carefully followed by every dog owner, would effectually prevent all danger from hydrophobia.

RULES FOR DEALING WITH DOGS.

In the first place, every dog should have a responsible owner and home, and all stray dogs should be destroyed. It will be necessary to have regular dog officers to carry out the provisions of the law. All dogs should be licensed, numbered and provided with a tag which it would be impossible to detach. Any dog appearing upon the streets without the tag should be impounded, and if not reclaimed, should be destroyed. This would fix the home of every dog. The people should then be warned of the danger of rabies and cautioned to isolate or muzzle the dogs at the first signs of any indisposition whatever. In cases where rabies is suspected the dog should be captured alive, if possible, and be detained under observation long enough to determine positively the nature of its disease, when precautions should be taken with reference to persons or other animals bitten by the suspected dog. So many dogs have been killed upon the mere suspicion of being mad that the statistics of the Pasteur institute have been deprived of a considerable part of their value. One should not wait for symptoms of rabies to develop. At the slightest sign of indisposition from any cause whatever the dog should be properly muzzled and isolated until the nature of its disease is fully determined. Circulars should be issued with the licenses impressing upon the minds of all owners of dogs the danger of rabies and resulting hydrophobia, and the importance of immediately muzzling the dog upon the appearance of the slightest indisposition.

SYMPTOMS OF BONE IN THROAT SAME AS RABIES.

Especial attention should be directed to, and warning given of, cases where it is suspected that the dog has a bone in the throat, so that no efforts may be made by the owner to extract it without the assistance of a veterinary surgeon. The symptoms of rabies and bone in the throat are often identical, and many persons have lost their lives from hydrophobia by attempting to extract a supposed bone from the throat of one of their pets. While there are positive symptoms indicating rabies in its early stages, and the rule should be followed to suspect every case of illness, it may not be amiss to call attention to some of the most distinctive signs calling for unusual prudence upon the part of the owners of dogs.

SICK DOG SHOULD BE SUSPECTED.

Dr. Bouley has warned us to especially distrust dogs that show signs of illness; every sick dog should, as a rule, be suspected; particularly distrust a dog when it becomes dull, morose and seeks for solitude, appears not to know where to rest, is always on the move, prowling, snapping at the air and suddenly barking at nothing when all around is perfectly still; whose countenance is sombre, and only assumes its animated expression by brief starts; beware of the dog that seeks and scrapes incessantly and exhibits aggressive movements against phantoms, and finally beware of the dog that has become too fond of you and is continually endeavoring to lick the hands and face. To which Dr. Salmon has added the injunction to especially beware of the dog that appears to have a bone in the throat, and the dog that has wandered from home and returns covered with dirt, exhausted and miserable.

SEASONS HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON DISEASE.

The popular idea that rabies is only dangerous in the hot months is fallacious. Seasons appear to have but little, if any, influence on the disease. The months of April, May and June show a larger number of cases than any other three months, but December is only 3 per cent. below the average of the year, so we may conclude that the temperature has but little influence. August, which is usually the hottest month, and the center of the reputed "dog days," stands fifth in the order of frequency, whereas, if high temperatures had anything to do with the disease it would, in all probability, stand first.

CHILDREN SHOULD BE CAREFUL OF DOGS.

Warning should be given to parents to impress upon the minds of children the dangers attending the patting or caressing of strange dogs, since it is quite natural for these little tots, especially those who have household pets at home, to make friends with any dogs they may meet, and take a pleasure in holding out their hands and patting dogs. Many cases of hydrophobia have been contracted from lap dogs and other small pets. A bite is not necessary always to convey the poison