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. stage runs rapidly to the end. The maximum course of this disease is ten days; it may run in as many hours.

This

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.

Το 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?

A...... B......

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

Transportation of Corpses.

insuring protection to connecting lines. In such States or Territories they may arrange to accept certificates of physicians or undertakers on transit permits, there being no health officer to issue them. The rules, as adopted, are as follows:

Rule 1. The transportation of bodies of persons dead of Small-pox, Asiatic Cholera, Leprosy, Typhus Fever, or Yellow Fever, is absolutely forbidden. Rule 2. The bodies of those who have died of Diphtheria, Anthrax, Scarlet Fever, Puerperal Fever, Typhoid Fever, Erysipelas, Measles, and other contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases must be wrapped in a sheet thoroughly saturated with a strong solution of bi-chloride of mercury, in the proportion of one ounce of bi-chloride of mercury to a gallon of water; and encased in air-tight zinc, tin, copper or lead-lined coffin, or in an air-tight iron casket, hermetically sealed, and all inclosed in a strong tight wooden box; or the body must be prepared for shipment by being wrapped in a sheet and disinfected by solution of bi-chloride of mercury as above, and placed in a strong coffin or casket, and said coffin or casket encased in a hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, copper, or tin case, and all inclosed in a strong outside wooden box of material not less than one inch and a-half thick.

Rule 3. In cases of contagious, infectious, or communicable diseases, the body must not be accompanied by articles which have been exposed to the infection of the disease. And in addition to permit from board of health or proper health authority, agents will require an affidavit from the shipping undertaker, stating how body has been prepared and kind of coffin or casket used, which must be in conformity with rule 2.

Rule 4. The bodies of persons dead of diseases that are not contagious, infectious, nor communicable, may be received for transportation to local points in same State; when encased in a sound coffin or metallic case, and inclosed in a strong wooden box, securely fastened so it may be safely handled. But when it is proposed to transport them out of the State to an inter-state point (unless the time required for transportation from the initial point to destination does not exceed eighteen hours) they must be encased in an air-tight, zinc, tin, copper, or lead-lined coffin, or an air-tight iron casket, or a strong coffin or casket incased in a hermetically sealed (soldered) zinc, copper, or tin case, and all inclosed in a strong outside wooden box of material not less than one inch thick. In all cases the outside box must be provided with four iron chest handles.

Rule 5. Every dead body must be accompanied by a person in charge who must be provided with a ticket, and also present a full first-class ticket marked "Corpse," and a transit permit from the board of health, or proper health authority, giving permission for the removal, and showing name of deceased, age, place of death, cause of death (and if of a contagious or infectious nature), the point to which it is to be shipped; medical attendant, and name of undertaker.