186 



illuminatiiiij^ y^as. vSucli a chainbcr has now l)ecn constructed 

 within the yard of the county jail, and the capture of unHcensed 

 dogs has been going on for some time. 1 expect to be able to re- 

 port on the effectiveness of this new method for destroying dogs 

 at the meeting of the board on June 10, as the first bunch of 

 dogs will be destroyed before that time. 



In order to maintain reliable data in regard to the prevalence 

 of rabies in California, a communication vAxs sent to the federal 

 inspector in charge at San Francisco with a request for all infor- 

 mation at his dis])osal pertaining to this subject. His reply has 

 come to hand an(l is herewith submitted for j^erusal by the mem- 

 bers of the board. From this correspondence it will be seen that 

 the measures taken by the board for the purpose of protecting 

 the Territory against the introduction of rabies are more than 

 justified by the facts contained in this official comnnmication. Not 

 less than nine hiunan lives have been sacrificed during the present 

 outbreak of rabies in California, and it is estimated by the director 

 of the State Hygienic Laboratory at Berkeley, California, that not 

 less than 3200 cases of rabies among dogs and other animals have 

 occurred within the State during the past two years. To this he 

 adds that the disease is rapidly spreading, and in my opinion there 

 can be no doubt that unless the present regulations are effectively 

 enforced it would be a very simple matter for the disease to gain 

 entrance here. In fact, I have been informed that a dog that 

 passed through here on one of the steamers for the Orient de- 

 veloped rabies before the steamer reached Yokohama and bit his 

 owner. If this dog had been destined for this ]«)rt we would have 

 had the disease here, and it can only be hoped that the same 

 would have been recognized in time to prevent the infection of 

 the keeper, or the spread of the disease to other animals. From 

 a communication signed by the State Veterinarian it is learned 

 that not less than eight lal)oratories for the administration of the 

 Pasteur treatment to persons who have been bitten by rabid dogs 

 have been estal)lished in various c'ties of California, among which 

 may be mentioned Berkeley, Los Angeles, Im-csuo, San I'rancisco 

 and Sacramento. In case, therefore, the disease should gain, en- 

 trance here, bitten persons would be removed only from six to 

 twelve days from treatment, dependent upon the departure of 

 steamers. TUit as one of the human cases of hydrophobia men- 

 tioned in the appended correspondence developed the disease in 

 fifteen days after having been bitten, and before the Pasteur treat- 

 ment was little more than half finished, it will be seen that we are 

 not any too well protected in case the disease should get in here, 

 and it is suggested that the attention of the local Board f)f Health 

 be called to the advisability of being prepared lo administer the 

 Pasteur treatment in case it should become necessary. 



.An aj)i)lication has been received from Mr. I .ordy, the owner 

 of the performing dogs now ciuaranlined at the I'.ijou Theatre, for 

 permission to perform at Wailuku, Maui, and al llilo, Hawaii. 



