98 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



well aiithcuticated cases of deaths of people from rabies have been 

 reported and the following numbers of animals are known to have 

 died of this disease; 5 horses, G8 cattle, 24 sheep, 27 hogs and 146 

 dogs. There is no doubt that there were many more deaths not re- 

 ported, and some reports not confirmed are not included in the above 

 list. Fifty-six diagnosis of rabies in animals (horses, cattle and 

 dogs) have been positively established in the laboratory of the State 

 Live Stock Sanitary Board. The rapid method of diagnosis has been 

 studied and tried thoroughly by Dr. Kavenel, and its great value is 

 now established. The particular value of this method is that it 

 enables one to ascertain within three or four days whether a sus 

 pected dog was actually rabid. This is most important when a per- 

 son has been bitten. If it is found that the dog was not rabid, need- 

 less alarm is avoided, while if it is shown that the animal was rabid 

 there is ample time to employ the Pasteur protective treatment. 



The plan has been continued this year of quarantining the dogs 

 that have been exposed or, in restricted areas, that may have been 

 exposed to the bite of a rabid dog. This has been the means of con- 

 fining dogs that have subsequently developed rabies. Under these 

 conditions such dogs could be destroyed before, they had a chance to 

 spread disease. But the disease is so very wide spread that even 

 when it is repressed in a given locality there is constant danger of 

 its introduction from without, so that unremitting watchfulness 

 must be maintained. 



The last Legislature enacted the following law which was approved 

 by the Governor April 11th, 1901: 



"A supplement to an act, entitled 'An act for the taxation of dogs 

 and the protection of sheep,' approved the twenty-fifth day of May, 

 Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and ninety-three, providing 

 that the fund raised by the taxation of dogs be applied in addition 

 to the loss of sheep, for the loss of other domestic animals bitten by 

 mad dogs. 



"Section 1. Be it enacted, &c.. That the fund raised by the taxation 

 of dogs, as provided by the act of the General Assembly, entitled 'An 

 act for the taxation of dogs and the protection of sheep,' approved 

 the twenty-fifth day of May, Anno Domini one thousand eight hun- 

 dred and ninety-three, in addition to the application thereof for the 

 payment of losses sustained by the destruction and damage to sheep, 

 be applied for the payment of horses, mules, cattle and swine bitten 

 by a mad dog or mad dogs, and destroyed or necessary to be destroyed 

 by reason thereof. Said damages shall be ascertained and recovered 

 in the same manner as provided by section three, four and five of the 

 said act: Provided, That in no case shall the value of each horse or 

 mule exceed one hundred dollars, the value of each head of cattle 

 fortv dollars, and each head of swine six dollars. 



