548 GENERAL THERAPEUTIC MEASURES 



The Antirabic Treatment with the Hogyes Dilution Method. 



This consists of six injections of various dilutions of rabies vaccine 

 prepared from the fresh brain of a rabbit affected with rabies. The fixed 

 virus contained in the brain is not changed by drying or any other method 

 of attenuation and is used in a fresh active state in the varying dilutions. 

 Rabies vaccine is used for the preventive treatment of rabies during 

 the incubation period. After the symptoms of the disease are developed, 

 antirabic treatment is of absolutely no value. A cure for rabies is as yet 

 undiscovered but the antirabic treatment is quite effective in preventing 

 the development of the disease in domestic animals, bitten by rabid dogs 

 or other animals. Eabies affects chiefly dogs; but horses, cattle, sheep, 

 goats, pigs, cats, poultry and wild animals, particularly wolves, foxes and 

 prairie dogs, are also susceptible and are sometimes affected. In the 

 western states rabies has been prevalent among coyotes of recent years 

 and many cases in domesticated animals have been due to inoculation by 

 rabid coyotes. 



TETANUS. 



Tetanus is characterized by muscular spasms of the face, neck, body 

 and limbs. The muscular contractions are very rigid and persistent. 



The disease is caused by the tetanus bacillus — Nicolaier's bacillus. It 

 is very often found present in the soil, in dust, and especially in manure. 

 The tetanus bacillus is a straight, slender rod possessing slight motility 

 and propagates by fissipn and also by spore formation. The spore is 

 usually situated at one pole of the rod, thus giving the spore-bearing bacil- 

 lus a drum-stick-like appearance. In cultures it may form longer slightly 

 curved threads. It produces a very powerful poison, and the action of 

 this poison on the nervous system is responsible for the symptoms of 

 tetanus. The tetanus organism remains at the point of inoculation, which 

 usually occurs through a wound. The infection may enter the body 

 through wounds of an operation, particularly castration. Nail pricks are 

 the commonest mode of infection. The disease is more prevalent in cer- 

 tain localities than others. In southern countries the infection is so widely 

 spread that unless preventive measures are undertaken the disease almost 

 invariably follows favorable injuries. Horses and mules are especially 

 susceptible to the disease, although at times it may occur in cattle, sheep, 

 hogs and dogs. 



Prevention and Treatment 



The affected animal should be placed in a quiet, dark box-stall and 

 away from other animals and all noises. The attendant must be very 

 careful and quiet in order to prevent unnecessary excitement and 

 increasing spasm. Tetanus antitoxin in large doses is also indicated. 

 For this purpose it is necessary to inject intravenously not less than 3000 

 anits and also at the same timef the same amount subcutaneously, and the 

 subsequent dosage should depend on the progress of the case. It is 

 advisable to repeat the injections at least every 24 hours. 



Tetanus antitoxin is prepared from horses. At first a very small 

 amount of the toxin is injected which is gradually increased until the 

 animal develops a tolerance for large amounts of toxin injections. Test 

 bleedings are then made and the serum subjected to standardization in 

 order to establish the number of units contained therein per mil. 



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