Rabies.

is marked abberation of mind. It will gaze into space and at persons with a vacant stare, and if alone, will sit as if listening for some object, its eyes following it in space, when suddenly it will spring forward to bite. The voice of its master will rouse it from its delusion, and it will answer with signs of attachment and pleasure. This peculiarity of unusual affection of the animal, is one of the most dangerous symptoms, because the animal may thus be permitted its freedom. It is not the animal's teeth that are to be avoided, but the pervidious tongue moist with virulent saliva, which if brought in contact with an abraided skin on the hands, is as fatal as a wound from a tooth.

It sometimes will make furious attempts to wipe off imaginary substances from its jaws with its paws, and if in doing so, it should tumble over, there can be no mistake in the disease. There is a peculiar change in the voice, which is rough, hoarse, short, sharp, and such as is heard in no other disease of this animal.

There is no dread of water at any stage of the disease; in fact the animal will drink water so long as able to swallow, and frequently, unable to swallow, will thrust the entire head in water. The mouth is dry and parched. The flow of saliva comes at the closing stage.

An invariable symptom of true Rabies is the impression made at the sight of another dog, which is so powerful as to excite instant fury. If at large, the animal will go as far as it can see another 'dog, passing persons and other animals to bite another dog, and it will make no noise, but give a snap and pass on. This stage lasts not longer than three or four days, and is the period of actual Rabies. Not all the symptoms given are present in any case, but enough will be discovered to enable any person to protect themself. It is during these two stages that the animal has lucid periods, which mislead the owner into insecurity, yet there is great danger at this time, and the animal should be securely chained or confined with no doors nor windows, for in paroxysms of fury it exerts wonderful powers, frequently breaking very stout chains or strong inclosures.

The third, or final stage, develops the most ferocious instincts. There is an unmistakable change in the face and eye, to that of fierceness and terror. If confined, the animal at the sight

Rabies.

of a person will spring at them with a peculiar bark. If at large, it will bite whatever comes within reach. If a stick or even redhot iron be thrust at it, it will seize it and gnaw it furiously, being insensible to pain.

Sharp sounds and pouring water will throw it into paroxysms, which are followed by lassitude and exhaustion, until paralysis ensues, first in the hind limbs, causing it to stagger about. The whole appearance of the animal changes rapidly. The eyes become dull and squint, the voice is husky. The paralysis incseases until it cannot rise, which is the prelude of the stupor which follows, broken only by tetanic muscular action, until comes the certain death.

If the dog is not restrained, it begins to run rapidly, as if by some irresistible force, attacking every living being it meets, darting hither and thither to bit a dog, making not a sound-merely a snap and onward, the degree of ferocity being somewhat influenced by the natural disposition of the animal, whether mild or fierce. The race is not long, exhaustion soon comes, it slackens its pace, becomes unsteady, its tail droops; its head is dropped, its tongue, a lead blue color, protruding; it turns not out of its course to attack anything. Paroxysms follow; it finally stops, crawls into some secluded spot, where if not disturbed it lies until death. This stage runs rapidly to the end. The maximum course of this disease is ten days; it may run in as many hours.

In all cases of suspected Rabies, the animal should be confined until its death, or at least ten days, so that it may be positively known whether or not it be a case of Rabies.

This paper would be incomplete, if no means of prevention and protection were offered against this horrible malady. Medical science has not yet provided a prophlaxsis for it. It may be safely said that no human being or animal that once has passed its portals, has ever stopped short of that bourne whence there is no returning. To say, "kill the dogs" would be too extreme. There are many dogs, more fit to live than many men. Yet it will not be denied there are too many dogs, thousands of them, like thousands of men, born only to curse their species. Thousands of dogs are without

Salicylic Acid for Preserving Fruit.

responsible masters. They cannot be restrained and imprisoned, as can be dissolute human beings.

The most reasonable thing to do, is to lessen the number of dogs, especially the females. Regulate them by law. Require a high license for the keeping of a bitch,say twenty-five or thirty dollars, and for dogs one fourth less. For fancy breeds provide a special license of not less than one hundred dollars. Require every licensed animal to be recorded and to wear a collar on which is inscribed the name of the owner and number of the license; grant authority to shoot on sight every dog not wearing the licensed badge, and make it the duty of all police officers to enforce the law. This will decrease the possibility of Rabies to the minimum, and prevent in a large measure the loss of human life, and of property of the farmer in live stock.

SALICYLIC ACID FOR PRESERVING

FRUIT.

The State Board of Health:

July 12, 1889.

Agents are selling in this county a recipe for preserving fruit with a preparation, the constituent of which is salicylic acid. It seems to be a nice thing. One of our physicians says it is not poisonous, and is healthy. I wish to know if it is unhealthful when used for preserving fruit?

The foregoing letter is a sample of many received by the State Board regarding the use of salicylic acid for preserving fruit. Without entering into the properties of this drug, it is due to the people to give them the opinion of those who have investigated it.

This acid is obtained from the phenates of barium and calcium. Its use for preserving food and drink became so general in France that the French Academy of Medicine, at the request of the government, took up the matter, and appointed a committee consistof such eminent physicians and chemists as Bertholet, Bergeron,

Salicylic Acid for Preserving Fruit.

Roussel, Proust, Brouardel, Vallin, and others, to investigate it. The committee reported to the government that the daily and long continued use of even small doses of salicylic acid had been demonstrated by medical observation to produce evil effects in feeble and sick persons, and that the use of it as a preservative of food or drink should therefore be forbidden.

Upon the report of this committee the use of this acid as a preservative of food or drink was prohibited by the government of France.

In a case brought before the Paris Court of Appeals for a violation of this law, M. Muller, the presiding judge, in giving his opinion, said:

"Salicylic acid is really a medicine, sometimes useful, often dangerous, the administration of which should be made under the direction of an experi enced person, and which the government cannot relegate to merchants, acting only for the interest of their business, as the purchaser may thus receive injury to his health by the employment of this pretended preservative agent, which, when in doses more or less frequently repeated, may act greatly to his prejudice."

M. Vallin, the eminent chemist and physician, in his report to the French government, says:

"The continuous taking of small quantities of salicylic acid, or its derivations, is injurious to health, especially in the case of aged persons, and those whose renal and digestive organs are not perfectly sound."

Professor E. Englehardt says:

"I am against the use of this acid for the preservation of food or drink.” Professor Hilgard says:

"This acid is not a proper substance for daily use. It has a tendency to produce kindey troubles, or to aggravate them. Its continued use tends to injure the bones and teeth. It hinders digestion, and the proper chemical action of the various digestive fluids."

Prof. F. de Chaumont, the eminent French chemist, sanitarian and physician, in an address before the International Health Exposition, at London, in 1884, said of the use of this acid for preserving food: "It has been found that this is not a very desirable thing to take into the system."

Transportation of Corpess.

The opinion of those who have given the subject the most critical investigation is adverse to the use of this acid for preserving food, and especially when prepared by irresponsible persons for purely speculative purposes.

TRANSPORTATION OF CORPSES.

During the past two years continuous effort has been made to establish regulations for the transportation of corpses, that would be operative in every State alike. To this end State Boards, railroad managers and undertakers have been diligently striving.

At a meeting of the National Association of General Baggage Agents of the various railroads, in the United States, held at San Francisco, January 16, 1889, a series of rules that had been previously referred to the various State Boards of Health, and Undertakers Associations, and nearly unanimously approved, were presented to the Baggage Association, and by that body unanimously approved and adopted, and they were again submitted to State Boards of Health for approval.

A resolution was also adopted, declaring "they be put in force by the several lines, on and after December 1, 1889, or so soon thereafter by each line as may be, and not cause any unnecessary friction or annoyance to the general public. It is understood that lines running through certain States or Territories will make such necessary changes or modifications in the rules as will put them in harmony with any State or Territorial law governing the transportation of dead bodies, but so far as they do not conflict with any State or provincial law, they will be enforced, and in the absence of any State law, or State or local boards of health with authority to enforce them, in such States or Territories, the railway companies will enforce the rules in all their essential features, thus