434 RABIES AND ITS CONTROL 



Cure. There is no known cure for rabies once it definitely de- 

 velops. The only possible help a patient may secure is the pre- 

 ventive treatment which should be given early. 



Prevention. One should always be careful in handling sick 

 animals, especially dogs and cats. If a dog, suspected of having 

 rabies, is running loose, it should be penned up for ten days, and 

 if it does not develop rabies in that time it is safe to let it out. 



Most departments of health examine and keep under observa- 

 tion all dogs suspected of having rabies. They will also take care 

 of dogs that have been bitten by other animals which are suspected 

 of having the disease. In order to prevent rabies, the health 

 departments of many states require that all dogs be muzzled. 



To prevent the development of rabies in a person bitten by a 

 rabid animal, the wound must be washed at once. Under the 

 care of a competent physician, it should be treated with a strong 

 antiseptic or be cauterized. Then the preventive vaccination 

 treatment must be begun at once. This builds up the person's 

 resistance to rabies. Practically no one has ever been harmed by 

 this treatment. In all cases, it is of utmost importance to give 

 the Pasteur treatment immediately. 



Large deep bite-wounds are the most dangerous, especially those 

 about the face, head, back, or any part where nerves and lymphatics 

 are abundant. A bite through clothing is usually less dangerous 

 than one on the bare surface. 



The eradication of rabies in man depends upon its prevention 

 in domesticated animals. This problem of prevention still exists 

 in certain sections of the world, as the disease is very prevalent 

 among wild animals which transmit it to dogs and other domes- 

 ticated animals. In 1923, approximately 22,000 persons in the 

 United States applied for and received the Pasteur treatment. 



In England, the enforcement of the law requiring the muzzling 

 of dogs and a quarantine on all animals imported from other 

 countries eliminated the disease entirely from 1903 to 1918. 



