512 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Its fatal character in animals, aud especially in man, has attracted 

 the careful study of many of the most able men who have ever 

 adorned the ranks of the medical and veterinary professions. 

 Among the famous men who gave great attention to it may be 

 mentioned the great surgeon, John Hunter in England, Viborg in 

 Copenhagen, Waldinger in Vienna, Hertwig in Germany and Pas- 

 teur in France. Without detracting in the least from the great 

 work of other investigators, we may say that to Pasteur and his 

 co-laborers, Nocard and Roux, we owe most of the knowledge which 

 we have of the disease at the present day. 



Distribution. At the present time rabies is known in almost 

 every country on the globe, Australia being the only one which is 

 absolutely exempt, owing to the rigid quarantine enforced against 

 the importation of clogs. It is most common in Fi*ance, Belgium 

 and Kussia. In the latter country it is perhaps more often seen 

 in wolves than any other part of the world. In Holland, Denmark 

 aud Sweden it is very rare. In England it has from time to time 

 been wide-spread, but at the present time, owing to strict measures, 

 it has been practically stamped out. 



The careful inquiries of Dr. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, show that rabies is seen in practically every part of the 

 United States. The census for 1890 reported 143 deaths iu man, 

 distributed in thirty States. The figures for the censusi of 1900 are 

 not available, but Dr. Salmon has collected from health officers the 

 reporis of 230 deaths occurring in seventy-three cities since 1890. 



There is no systematic report of rabies in the lower animals in 

 Pennsylvania, or any other State, so that it is impossible to give any 

 idea of the number of dogs or other animals affected yearly. There 

 is no doubt, however, that the disease is more prevalent than is 

 generally believed, aud there is good reason to fear ihat it will in- 

 crease until uniform and efficient laws are adopted for its suppres- 

 sion. The laboratory of the State Live Stock Sanitary Board has 

 investigated 82 cases of rabies, as proven by inoculation and micro- 

 scoi)ic examination, since October, 1897. Of these .58 were dogs, 4 

 horses, 17 cows, 1 cat and 2 human beings. All of these except six 

 dogs and one person were from the State of Pennsylvania. A 

 number of other cases have been seen in dogs at the Hospital of the 

 Veterinary Department of the University of Pennsylvania during 

 the past three years. 



It is impossible to say what relation these recorded cases bear to 

 the total number which have occurred throughout the State during 

 the same period of time, but they indicate that the disease is more 

 common than is generally suspected. 



Animals AFFErTF'.D. All niaminifers, including man, are liable 

 to rabies. Birds also may contract the disease. The dog is the 



