STUDIES ON THE SINGLE-INJECTION METHOD OF 
VACCINATION AS A PROPHYLACTIC AGAINST RABIES 
IN DOGS 1 
By Harry W. Schoening 
Associate Veterinarian , Pathological Division f Bureau of Animal Industry , United 
States Department of Agriculture 
INTRODUCTION 
Immunization against rabies has 
been practiced for many years in both 
human and veterinary medicine. Its 
use has been confined almost exclusively 
to cases of exposure to rabies infection, 
and by means of the Pasteur and 
Hogyes treatments or their modifica¬ 
tions the mortality from the disease 
has been greatly reduced. These meth¬ 
ods, while efficient, are not applicable 
as a practicable means of controlling 
rabies in dogs—the principal source of 
propagation of the disease—inasmuch 
as a number of injections are required 
with the consequent entailment of 
considerable expense. 
Owing to the increase of rabies in 
Japan, Umeno and Doi 2 sought by 
means of vaccination a method for the 
control of the disease in dogs. After 
experimental work they concluded 
that it was possible to immunize dogs 
against rabies by means of one sub¬ 
cutaneous injection of glycerinated 
fixed virus which had been attenuated 
by the addition of phenol. This 
method was then put into practical 
use and large numbers of pet dogs in 
certain districts were given one dose 
of vaccine. 
Umeno and Doi state: 
By summing up the statistics obtained in Kana- 
gawa and Tokyo Prefectures we obtain the following 
figures: 
There were 31,307 vaccinated dogs, of which 
number there was only one case of vaccination loss 
and one in which the vaccination was not to be 
regarded effective enough. There appeared quite 
a number of rabid dogs among the nonvaccinated 
dogs. Thus, we see the great importance of the 
vaccination of dogs in order to prevent the spread 
of rabies among dogs. 
Eichhorn and Lyon 3 and Reichel 
and Schneider 4 report experimental 
work with this method in the United 
States. 
The striking results of the practical 
application of the single-injection vac¬ 
cine, as reported by Umeno and Doi, 
in Japan, together with the experi¬ 
mental results reported by Eichhorn 
and Lyon in the United States in 1922, 
led to the receipt by the Bureau of 
Animal Industry, United States De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, of numerous 
letters from veterinarians, public health 
officials, and dog owners requesting 
information as to the efficiency of this 
method of immunization and its prob¬ 
able use in the control and eventual 
eradication of rabies from communities. 
As rabies appears to be on the in¬ 
crease, particularly in certain sections 
of the country, and as the control of 
the disease is an important problem, 
not only from an economic point of 
view but also from a public-health 
standpoint, any method looking to the 
control of the disease in dogs deserves 
thorough consideration and study. 
Experimental work on this subject 
was therefore undertaken. 
PREPARATION OF THE VACCINE 
According to the method of Umeno 
and Doi, the vaccine is prepared as 
follows: 
The brain and spinal cord of a rabbit 
dead of fixed rabies virus infection are 
removed and thoroughly ground in a 
mortar. To the ground-up mass four 
times its volume of phenolized glycerin 
water is added. The glycerin water 
consists of 60 parts of glycerin and 40 
parts of water which contains 1.25 per 
cent phenol, making the glycerinated 
water contain 0.5 per cent phenol. 
After being thoroughly mixed, the 
emulsion is allowed to stand at room 
temperature of 18° to 22° C. for two 
weeks, or in the ice box for 30 days, 
after which time it is ready for use. 
1 Received for publication June 16, 1924; issued May, 1925. 
2 Umeno, S., and Doi, Y. a study on the anti-rabic inoculation of dogs and the results of its 
practical application. Kitasato Arch. Exp. Med. 4: 89-108, 1921. 
5 Eichhorn, A., and Lyon, B. M. prophylactic vaccination of dogs against rabies. Jour. Amer. 
Vet. Med. Assoc, (n. s. 14) 61: 38-42. 1922. 
4 Reichel, J., and Schneider, J. E. rabies vaccine canine, single dose treatment. Jour. Amer. 
Vet. Med. Assoc, (n. s. 16) 63: 83-84. 1923. 
Journal of Agricultural Research. 
Washington, D. C. 
( 431 ) 
Vol. XXX, No. 6. 
Mar. 1, 1925. 
Key No. A—93. 
