228 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



hut Dr. Froth ingham has not yet been able to decide that 

 these animals died of rabies. The examination of their 

 brains is not yet finished. 



In addition to the horse and pig spoken of above, Dr. 

 Frothingham has examined the brains of 151 animals and 1 

 boy, in order to decide positively as to whether the disease 

 was rabies or not. The results of these examinations has 

 shown that 110 dogs, 7 cows, 2 horses and 1 boy were suf- 

 fering with rabies at the time of death, and that 31 dogs and 

 1 cow suspected of having rabies were free from this disease. 



It is often important to know positively whether an ani- 

 mal had rabies, or did not have it. When dogs have bitten 

 people, other dogs or animals, if it is ascertained that the 

 dog was rabid, the people have an opportunity of taking the 

 Pasteur treatment, and other animals which have been ex- 

 posed can l)e destroyed or quarantined. On the other hand, 

 if a dog bites any person or other dogs, or appears in a town 

 where he does not belong, acting strangely, and is killed by 

 the authorities, and an examination of the brain shows the 

 animal to have been free from rabies, it becomes at once ap- 

 parent that there is nothing to fear from the ]nte of such a 

 dog. Of the 293 dogs reported as having rabies, it will be 

 seen that a microscopic examination confirmed the diagnosis 

 in 110 cases. These examinations have been made when- 

 ever possible if supposed raliid dogs had bitten people or 

 other animals. The other mad dogs showed unmistakable 

 evidence of rabies ; in many instances there w^as the history 

 of a bite from a ral)id dog. Of 62 dogs reported as having 

 rabies, but found free from the disease, it will be seen that 

 the heads of 31 were examined and found free from evidences 

 of the disease, thus setting at rest the fears of persons bitten, 

 and their relatives and friends. The other 31 either showed 

 no evidences of disease when examined by agents during life, 

 or, if killed, they had done no harm, and there was no reason 

 for believing them to have been rabid. 



Five or 6 dogs died in quarantine from some other cause 

 than rabies ; the others that were killed were destroyed by 

 owners who did not care to keep them in quarantine, or were 

 afraid they might develop disease, and would not take the 



