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· orcler to reply . to the questions that come~ t s by te!~phone a'!d to assist in neutr!llizing the iU e cts of . ml$tftf()rmatton tbat has been dtsseminated on t e subject, the following is oftered in the hope that it will tend to e~pedite the eradication of rabies in dogs in this com· muntty. What Is Rabies? Rabies is an infectious disease of animals· that is in no way directly influenced by climate or season~ capable of. transmissio~ to man, usually by the h!te of a rabi~ annr_tal.. The dtsease may also be communtcated by con·tamtnattng wounds of the hands or other parts, with the saliva of animals that are affected with rabies. The existence of rabies is not denied by those who are informed and ample evidence of the nature and existence of the disease is to be found in any well furnished medical library in any civilized country. This disease is practically always, if not always, fatal and all who are unqualified by regular training should carefully a void influencing dog owners and·others regarding .a ny phase of the rabies problem as it exists here at present. · "A year ago we had a serious outbreak of rabiel w~ ra_,idlr spread throuchoat· the northern portiOn of V~t Ia a YerJ short period of time. As sneral people were bitten aacl maDJ cattle, horses and sheep were also bitten, and u the ctileue appeared to be spreading in syite of local muzzliac orcliaanees, we recommended the passage o a biD by the IC!IJillature which Wll then in session, providing for the vaccination of aU clop in the state. "The bill was passed and . became a law in twenty-four houn from the time it was introduced. The quarantine order issued under this law was immediately sent oat . · · The order states in effect, the law relative to vaccinations. After this quarantine was promulgated the possible cases of rabies continaaUy decreased and within a few months rabies was practically stamped out of the state. A few cases came to our notice of dogs that had been ftC· cinated which afterwards developed rabies, but where those were traced out it was found that the dogs had evidently been expoRd or bitten quite a time previous to the vaccination. "We are sure that had it not been for the vaccination of aU dop in the state the situation last summer would have been very disastrous." · S. ~tng, pepa~tment of Agrtculture, Montpelier, ~· mont, · wrttes under date of December 3), l!~u: vaccbt~ted within six ~:ROnths.· Depu~ Camiriis!ion . , .ll first present a certificate stating that , ·d· ~ ~-:t~" Why Is Rabies Prevalent Now? Due in part to inadequate regulation of the movement of dogs {strays and others) and because of a lack of concerted action to prevent the spread of the disease, it has become increasingly prevalent throughout the United States. As soon as legislation provides for the enforcement of state-wide quarantine and vaccination as well, rabies will be quickly controlled in Illinois as it has been · elsewhere. It is quite probable that conditions are serious enough now that we may hopefully look for remedial n1easures in this state soon. John V. Mulcahy, chief of the bureau of bacterio~gy, state department of health, Trenton, New Jersey, wrttes that results similar to those in Connecticut are reported f~om municipalities in New Jersey where the Connecticut . ·method of control is in operation. In Orange, New Jersey, for instance, this official repqrts that only "seven cases of rabies were found in non-vaccinated:and stray dogs in the year 1924; no cases occurred among the vaccinated dogs." He states further: "The responsibility rests upon each municipality to adopt stringent regulations to control this disease within its confines." Quoting Doctor Mulcahy again: "From the conclusive eYidence of the value of the one-injection method of anti-~bies pr'!PhJ· laxis, both experimentally and base~ on · the ·pract1cal expenen~ with this method in Japan, Connectacat and an our own state,. an preventing rabies in dogs so ~reatt;d, it w~uld. seem that the !ftl· munization of dogs by the antt-rabtes vaccane as the best praCtical method to control and eradicate rabies in this state." What N.ew Jersey Is Doing How Can the Disease Be Stamped Out? The control of movement of stray or unwanted dogs from place to place and the annual immunization of all dogs that are licensed or cared for, will positively bring the incidence of rabies to a minimum or stamp it out in any community. Where Has Rabies Been Stamped Out? Connecticut was the first state where legislation was enacted for the purpose of eradicating rabies in this country and this became necessary in 1922. A Connecticut regulatory official, Dr. G. E. Corwin, has recently stated that, "At this time there is not a known case of rabies in Connecticut, the last quarantine area having been · released some three months ago." In brief, the Connecticut method considers the administration of a single prophylactic injection of anti-rabies vaccine, properly executed, as protection for dogs so treated, against the attack of known rabid animals, provided quarantine of the kno\vn exposed dogs be carried out. Since the vaccination of dogs was started in Connecticut, six vaccinated dogs have been bitten by known rabid dogs and none of these have developed rabies. Ho\vever, an incident is officially reported from Connecticut wherein a known rabid dog bit two unvaccinated dogs and one vaccinated dog. The two unvaccinated dogs developed rabies and died but the vaccinated dog did not develop rabies and is still living, after two years. What Vermont Does During the last year Vermont legislation has provided for the control of rabies. There, no town or city clerk shall issue a license for any dog unless the owner shall Space· does not permit fu~the~ elabotatio~ on t~e eff~c tiveness of anti-rabies vacctnatton of dogs tn conJunctton with intelligent control of the movement of stray do~s, ~ut any who are interested may learn.much by communtcattng with health officials of Milton, Massachusetts, · from whence the statement was issued that, "The protective inoculation of dogs against rabies is apparently a safe . p~o cedure." Shreveport, Louisiana, and Ka~sas City, Mt~ souri, Qffer additional evidence of the effectiveness of antirabies vaccination. Muzzled dogs are at the. mercy of stra~ dogs and t~ey are certainly not protected m the least agatnst the P<?Sstble attack of a rabid dog unless they have been vacctnated against rabies. Muzzles are worthless for the reason .th~t a comfortable muzzle that may be expected to re~aln .tn · position on all dogs and eff~ctively ~erve the purpose ID· tended, has not yet been devtsed. ;: . · Prophylactic vaccination. in the control of rab~es should appeal to all intelligent dog own.ers who gtve thought to the possible danger to human betngs, wh~rever an outbreak .of rabies runs unchecked amo'!g antm~ls. Anti-rabies vaccination is effectual, humane, tnexpenstve and should be applied to every licensed or owned but unvaccinated dog hereabout, forthwith. One treatment confers immunity for a period of about one year. What Others. Have Done North Shore Animal Hospital Phone University 363 Ewnston On or before May first, 1928, our address will be 1_817 Church Str.ee~, Evanston, in our especially designed and commodtous new hospttat. .oiHIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-1111111111IIMIUIIIIIIHHIIIIIIIIIIIIHI11111111111111HIIItltiiiiiiiiiiiiiiH. . .IIIIIIItllllllllltlllllllllliiHIIIIIl(lllllllliiiMIII. . .IIHIIIIIII-Itlllllllllllllllllllllllllllt_ _ _lllllltl_.llllllltl,. . .lllllll,llllllll_ _ _ _ llllllll-------~~·