528 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Rabies. 



At the time of compiling the last report, in December, 

 1897, it was said that rabies among dogs was commencing 

 to decrease in prevalence, and it was hoped that it was 

 becoming less frequent, and in time would die out until 

 another outbreak occurred. Unfortunately, this has not 

 been the case. Early in the year of 1898, reports of rabies 

 began to come in from Lynn, Swampscott and Salem, and 

 later cases from other localities in the eastern part of the 

 State have been called to the attention of the Board at 

 various intervals up to the present time. 



There were 35 cases of rabies or suspected rabies investi- 

 gated by the Board of Cattle Commissioners during the 

 year, including 32 dogs, 1 horse, 1 cat and 1 rat. Of this 

 number, 18 animals have been proved to have been rabid by 

 inoculating rabbits, including the horse and the cat. 



Four animals sent in as suspected of being rabid have 

 proved not to have been so by the rabbit test, including the 

 rat. The head of one dog was too far decomposed when it 

 arrived to be of any use for diagnostic purposes ; another 

 dog is known to have been rabid, as two dogs supposed to 

 have been bitten by him afterward became rabid and were 

 proved so by the rabbit test ; 9 dogs have been reported as 

 rabid by local inspectors, where the diagnosis has not been 

 verified ; and 2 quarantined by the local inspector were 

 found not to be suffering from hydrophobia. 



In addition, 33 dogs have been quarantined by order of 

 the Board of Cattle Commissioners or by the local in- 

 spectors, because of their having been bitten, or having been 

 where they might have been bitten, by rabid dogs. In these 

 cases the quarantines are continued for ninety days, at the 

 expiration of which time the animals are released if they 

 appear to be healthy. 



Of the 33 dogs thus quarantined, 2 have died of rabies ; 

 3 or 4 have been killed by their owners, for fear they might 

 become rabid ; the rest have been released at the expiration 

 of the period of quarantine, with the exception of 11 which 

 were quarantined about the 1st of October, and whose 



