GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION 461 



Without detracting in the least from the great work of other 

 investigators, we may say that to Pasteur and his co-laborers, 

 Nocard and Roux, we owe much of the knowledge of the 

 nature of rabies which we possess at the present time. 



§ 368. Geographical distribution. Rabies is known 

 to exist in almost every country on the globe. Australia is 

 the largest area which is said to be absolutely free from it. 

 This exemption is the gratifying result of a rigid quarantine 

 enforced against dogs imported on that island. Rabies is very 

 common in France, Belgium and Russia. In the latter 

 country it is perhaps more often seen in wolves than in any 

 other part of the world. In Holland, Denmark and Sweden it 

 is very rare. In England, it has from time to time been wide- 

 spread, but at present it is practically eradicated. Salmon 

 has found that rabies exists in nearly every part of the United 

 States. 



Inquiries which the writer has made during the last few 

 years, by verifying current newspaper reports of rabies, show 

 that the larger number of cases come from certain districts in 

 which the disease seems to have become established. Newly 

 infected districts are constantly springing up, due presumably 

 to the introduction in some manner of an infected dog. 



The prevalence of the disease cannot be accurately deter- 

 mined, as there are no reliable statistics concerning it. 

 Ravenel has reported that the State Live Stock Sanitary Board 

 of Pennsylvania has investigated 82 cases of rabies since 1897. 

 Of these there were 58 dogs, 4 horses, 17 cows, i cat and 2 

 human beings. During igoo-'o4the New York State Veteri- 

 nary College investigated 64 cases of rabies, of which 47 

 were in dogs, 1 1 in cattle, 2 in horses, i in sheep, i in swine, 

 and 2 in men. In 1907 a much larger number of cases were 

 presented for diagnosis. Salmon states that in the District of 

 Columbia from 1893 to August 1900 rabies has been positively 

 diagnosed in animals in 91 cases. These consisted of 80 dogs, 

 5 cows, 2 horses, 2 foxes and 2 cats. In addition to these the 

 records of the health department of the District of Columbia 

 show that since 1874 there have been seven deaths from rabies 



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