DISEASES OP THE OX AND SHEEP. 283 



provides a preventive remedy, facilities should be afforded for its 

 application in England. 



Now with regard to this, we wish to point out, firstly, that the 

 most severe repressive measures are not only absolutely essential, 

 but also that the Government, in issuing the Kabies' Orders, 

 and in enforcing them, have deserved well of the country. 

 Secondly, we have to reiterate to our readers that if there is the 

 least suspicion of rabies existing in a dog that has bit a man, 

 that man, if he can possibly do so, ought to submit himself to 

 the protective measures of M. Pasteur, unless he is prepared to 

 run the very gravest risk of dying of rabies, and moreover, of 

 dying in great suffering. M. Pasteur has done a great work 

 in this subject. His researches on the silk-worm disease, on 

 anthrax, and on rabies have been wonderfully successful, so 

 much so that we can hope for success even greater still. 



In dealing with rabies, as we have seen, there are two great 

 things to be done. The disease must be ** stamped out,'^ and it 

 must be met, when its presence is suspected in men, by protective 

 inoculation. Every dog which is even supposed to be affected 

 should be slaughtered at once and without hesitation. There 

 are some good people about who would say, perhaps, "Let the 

 poor dog live"; but if they had the least conception of the 

 immense issues at stake, even the most humane humanitarians 

 would not be prepared to risk the untold misery that may 

 result from one night's freedom of a rabid dog not muzzled. 



It seems to be popularly believed that " rabies " is primarily 

 developed, so to speak, in the dog. The point is not cleared up 

 in any way, and, indeed, it is one which presents great difficulties. 

 Probably rabies may originate in the cat, fox, jackal, hyena, 

 wolf, and perhaps other animals. However this may be, and in 

 passing we may observe that the whole question of the origin of 

 diseases requires elucidation, which it may probably soon receive, 

 it is probable that when once its virus is developed, rabies is 

 capable of being transmitted to all warm-blooded animals, and 

 the human race is very liable to suff'er from its dreadful ravages. 

 It cannot be said that any method of treatment has as yet been 

 proved to be thoroughly effectual. Even the preventive inocula- 

 tion of M. Pasteur does not appear to have been uniformly 

 successful in arresting the progress of the disease. Some time 

 ago Dr. Gresswell, while house physician to Dr. Southey at St. 



