538 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



bodies are found in the stomach, sticks, stones, straw, hair, etc., but 

 little or no food. 



Pasteur records a few rare cases of recovery by inoculation 

 after the commencement of the first symptoms of the disease, but 

 only in case of slight attacks. Rabies must be regarded as an in- 

 variably fatal disease. The inoculation mortality is not so great. 

 H.ertwig found that only 37 per cent of the animals inoculated by 

 him became infected, and Renault, 67 per cent. On an average 

 only 20 to 30 per cent of those bitten by rabid animals become in- 

 fected. The percentage in mankind is influenced by treatments. 

 One authority says that of one hundred bitten men, only from 8 to 

 47 per cent became infected. Pasteur puts the per cent at 16 to 

 80 per cent. 



. Treatment is purely prophylactic. It is of no avail after the ap- 

 pearance of symptoms of the disease. In men the wound should 

 always be cauterized with a hot iron, potash, sulphuric acid, cor- 

 rosive sublimate, etc., or excise the bitten part, or the cicatrix. In 

 domestic animals, only in exceptional cases, should this be done. 



Pasteur, in 1884, started his experiments with inoculation for 

 the cure of rabies. While he has greatly reduced the mortality in 

 the cases under treatment, the treatment is not regarded as con- 

 clusive or absolute in its results. 



Preventive measures, such as muzzling of dogs, dog tax, etc., 

 are the most effective methods of controlling rabies. 



Rabies runs a typical acute and fatal course in dogs. Two 

 forms of the disease exists — furious and dumb. The furious rabies 

 has three stages, viz. First, the premonitory or melancholy stage; 

 second, the irritative or maniacal stage ; third, the paralytic or final 

 stage. 



Dumb rabies is distinguished chiefly by the short duration or ab- 

 sence of the irritative or maniacal stage. Death often takes place 

 in two or three days. This form of the disease is more frequent 

 in America than the raging form. Diagnosis is more difficult in 

 dumb'* rabies than in the other form. 



About a dozen calls for investigation on account of rabies have 

 been received during the past two years. Some of these were of 

 several months' standing, and others were of recent origin. In each 

 case prompt action was given, and the outbreaks have been ef- 

 fectively controlled. 



In November, 1909, it was reported that ten or twelve dogs in 

 Clinton, Iowa, exhibited symptoms of rabies. The brain of one of 



