308 RABIES 



common in France, Belgium and Russia. In the latter 

 countr_v 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 

 widespread, but at present it is practically eradicated. Sal- 

 mon 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, shows 

 that the larger number of cases come from certain districts in 

 which the disease seems to have become established. Newly 

 infected districts are constantl}? springing up, due presumably 

 to the introduction in some manner of an infected dog. 



The prevalence of the disease cannot be accuratel5' 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. Since November 1900 the New York State 

 Veterinary College has investigated 27 cases of rabies of which 

 14 were in dogs, 9 in cattle, i in horses, i in sheep and two in 

 men. Salmon states that in the District of Columbia from 

 1893 to August 1900 rabies has been positively diagnosed in 

 animals in 91 cases. These consist 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 has been in the human species seven deaths 

 from rabies. These illustrations from the experiences of a few 

 laboratories could be duplicated from the records of many 

 others. 



In Europe the disease seems to be more prevalent. In 

 189S the official reports show 1,202 cases of rabies in animals 

 (mostly dogs) in German}'. In 1899, 2,374 rabid animals 

 were reported from France and 444 cases from Belgium. 



§ 237. Etiology. Although rabies has become recog- 

 nized as a specific disease, its primary etiological factor has 

 not been isolated or found. It is known that it exist in the 

 brain, spinal cord and saliva of the affected animal. In cer- 



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