RABIES 155 



The diet should consist of raw meat minced fine, 

 or, if the patient prefers it, of cooked meat, milk, 

 eggs, and beef tea. Great care must be taken not 

 to upset the patient's digestive system, and no in- 

 digestible articles of diet should be allowed. 



When convalescence sets in, as shown by the im- 

 proved appetite, subsidence of symptoms, and raised 

 spirits, a good tonic must be administered (triple 

 arsenates). 



Prophylaxis. — Owing to the extreme contagious- 

 ness of the disease, great care must be exercised to 

 prevent its spreading. The patient should be isolated, 

 all articles coming in contact with him, such as dishes 

 and water troughs, should be sterilized by boiling 

 immediately after use. All. brushes, bedding, 

 sponges, swabs and other articles should be burned, 

 and upon recovery the premises must be thoroughly 

 disinfected. The attendant should sterilize ther- 

 mometers, pill guns, and medicine spoons before 

 using them again ; he should wear a gown while 

 handling the patient, and should disinfect his hands 

 and boots before proceeding to the next case. It 

 is advisable to immunize all dogs exposed to the 

 infection with a prophylactic dose of distemper bac- 

 terin. 



Rabies 



Rabies is a true infective disease and is transmit- 

 ted solely by inoculation, generally by the bite of 

 an afifected animal. Noguchi, of the Rockefeller Insti- 

 tute, and Zell, of Chicago, simultaneously and inde- 

 pendently have recently isolated and cultivated the 

 cause of rabies, which appears to be a protozoan, 

 present in the tissues of the central nervous system, 

 saliva, and urine. The virus is' fixed and endo- 

 genous, that is to say, the animal body is absolutely 

 necessary for its natural development. The period 



