"I • 
PREVENTION OF RABIES BY INOCULATION. 509 
. ___ 
Rabies, therefore, should be classed with those diseases i n 
hich, in certain species of animals, a more or less complete 
un-receptivity is produced against a section of infection of the 
ime disease. It especially belongs to that class of diseases 
gainst which a form of immunity can be produced by means of 
'•tificial inoculation through a mitigated infecting material; i. <?., 
weakened preparation of the specific virus. 
In all previously known cases of artificially produced imrnu- 
ity, the artificial infection, by which a severe natural infection 
as been prevented, has had to be produced anticipatory to expos- 
i*e to the latter. We inoculate with a weakened virus in order 
) protect humanity from the small-pox. The same is true with 
)gard to the protection of susceptible animals against anthrax. 
Pasteur has apparently made a most important advance in 
lis direction, in that he seeks to prevent the eruption of a deadly 
sease (rabies) after the animal organism has already been 
sposed to natural infection, by the introduction into the organ- 
m of a mitigated artificial preparation of materials prepared 
*om organs containing the natural virus. Pasteur’s preventive 
;tempts upon human beings have, however, an entirely dif- 
•ent complexion than those which he has reported upon dogs, 
r*ove alluded to. In the preventive-inoculated dogs, they were 
lbjected to his treatment before being exposed to the bite 
E rabid ones, while with human beings he seeks to prevent the 
sneralization or eruption of a disease, the infecting principle of 
hich has already been introduced previous to his treatment, 
his assertion, or rather attempt, of Pasteur’s does not corre- 
)ond to our experience with regard to vaccination; that is, vac- 
nation has not been shown to be able to prevent the eruption of 
nall-pox in an already infected organism; hence it is scarcely 
| ;asonable to assume that such a possibility exists for persons 
itten by a rabid dog without further experimental proof. In 
lis case we have to face the results of the “ new assertions.” 
Prof. v. Frisch has asserted “ that Pasteur has received posi- 
ve results in some twenty days after they had been bitten by 
ibid ones , by means of his preventive inoculation .” 
It is very unfortunate that we have not been favored with the 
t 
