654 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



in the institute constantly during the treatment, it only being neces- 

 sary for them to present themselves each morning to have the injec- 

 tions made. 



VALUE OF THE TREATMENT. 



The value of the Pasteur treatment can not be overestimated. 

 In 1896, nine years after the parent institution in Paris was founded, 

 there were still many who doubted its value. In this year a com- 

 mission was appointed by the House of Commons of England, con- 

 sisting of Paget, Brunton, Fleming, Lister, Quain, Roscoe, Sander- 

 son and Horsley, to ascertain the value of the treatment. After ex- 

 haustive investigation this commission reported that Pasteur's inocu- 

 lations were as valuable against rabies as Jenner's vaccination was 

 against smallpox. The statistics of the large number of Pasteur in- 

 stitutes during the past ten years are alone sufficient to prove that 

 this was one of the greatest of Pasteur's discoveries. Without the 

 treatment the mortality ranges from 10 to 80 per cent of the per* 

 sons bitten. "With the treatment the mortality statistics covering 

 thousands of cases is always less than 1 per cent, and during recent 

 years has been reduced to from 0.3 to 0.5 per cent. The observations 

 of Brawner, of Georgia, noted above, are very convincing in this 

 connection. 



ERADICATION OF THE DISEASE. 



If eradication were once accomplished all that has been said 

 about treatment would be rendered unnecessary. Furthermore, rabies 

 is one of the most easily eradicated of all infectious diseases. The 

 factor of success in the undertaking can be summed up in three 

 words, namely, muzzling all dogs. Could this be efficiently carried 

 out in the United States for a few years rabies would be entirely 

 eradicated, as has been demonstrated by the experience of other coun- 

 tries. Other domestic animals have the disease, it is true, but its 

 transmission by these animals is rare and need not be considered. 

 Wild animals as a factor in its spread may require consideration in a 

 few localized sections of the country. 



When the muzzling of dogs is suggested, however, the sanitarian 

 meets with many obstacles. Many dog lovers can not appreciate, or 

 are indifferent to the anxiety, mental terror, and suffering of several 

 thousand human beings in our country yearly, and the actual death 

 of from 100 to 300 yearly, not to mention the suffering and death of 

 countless dumb brutes. But once a dog-muzzling law is passed dog 

 owners are up in arms, using their time, influence, and money to se- 

 cure its repeal or prevent its enforcement on the ground of alleged 

 cruelty. In reality there is no cruelty whatever inflicted on a dog by 

 causing it to wear a muzzle when in public places or running at large. 

 The animals soon become used to it and manifest not the slightest 

 inconvenience. 



In the absence of muzzling the disease will continue year by year, 

 causing constantly increasing suffering, financial loss, and death. 

 The greater freedom of movement which the dog enjoys over all 

 other domestic animals, except possibly the cat, makes it difficult or 

 impracticable to control the disease by any other means than general 



