EDITORIAL. 
392 
RABIES. 
The frequent outbreak of this disease in England lias been, 
and is yet, according to reliable testimony, a prolific source of loss 
to the owners of valuable dogs, and occasionally also of human life. 
From recent Glasgow and Dublin papers, it would seem that 
Scotland and Ireland are scarcely more fortunately situated than 
England, for both human and animal lives have within a few 
days fallen victims to this dread disease, 
That no efforts have been taken by the Government to get 
rid of such a terrible scourge, does not, perhaps, seem so strange 
to Americans, who are accustomed to see Government ignore all 
matters pertaining to veterinary medicine, as it must to veterina¬ 
rians of continental countries. If the disease was not so extremely 
fatal, particularly in man, or if there was any known remedy 
which occasionally would prove efficient as a cure, there might 
be a seeming excuse for such inaction : but with death resulting 
in man in every instance and in nearly if not all cases in other 
animals, longer delay in the adoption of suppressive measures 
must be at the expense of the best interests of the country. The 
accomplished editor of the Yeterinary Journal has for months 
past been urging the Government to take action in the matter, 
but how long it will be before his recommendations are adopted 
is a matter of mere speculation. 
Fortunately for the United States, rabies is but rarely seen to 
any considerable extent in this country, never appearing, so far 
as we are aware, in an enzootic form as it does in England. We 
have not met a single case in New York for about three years, 
and we believe but very few cases have occurred here during that 
time. No doubt one of the principal reasons for our comparative 
freedom from this malady is the different manner in which 
our dogs are generally kept, but few packs being found in 
this country. That we are open to infection from this source, 
becomes fully apparent when we consider the large number of 
dogs imported from England yearly; yet, serious as the danger 
may be, it must ever be much less than where the disease is 
unknowingly introduced into large packs, as has happened often 
