HYDROPHOBIA 



219 



If these figures do not prove that the danger of hydro- 

 phobia is greatly exaggerated in the popular mind, we do 

 not know what can do so. Here are 1,520 persons not 

 only bitten, but bitten so badly that they thought it worth 

 while to travel long journeys to seek the aid of the 

 Pasteur Institute. All these persons were bitten under 

 such circumstances that great danger was recognised, and 

 they represented probably the worst cases out of many 

 thousands, the great majority of whom did not resort to 

 the Institute for treatment. Out of the 1,520 persons 

 treated, 156 were bitten on the head or face, 829 upon the 

 hands, and 535 upon other parts of the body ; while 122 

 were bitten by animals experimentally proved to be mad, 

 949 by animals declared by veterinary certificate to be so, 

 and 449 by animals only suspected of being mad. The 

 patients came from the following countries : France (1,263), 

 England (198, including 20 from British India), Switzer- 

 land (35), Spain (11), Belgium and Holland (6 each), 

 Egypt, Greece, and Turkey (2 each), Italy and Eussia. 

 Last year, of the 1,520 patients who were thought worthy 

 of inoculation, only 2 died. 



The explanation is forthcoming, however, when we are 

 told that, out of the 1,520 patients, only 122 were bitten 

 by dogs proved to be rabic ; in every other case the animal 



