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159
RABIES: THE MUZZLING ORDER.
On 2nd February, 1896 regulations of the County Council,
familiarly known as the "Muzzling Order," came into force, and
they continued in force until 2nd February, 1897, when the
Public Control Committee were enabled to report that the
regulations had been "so far beneficial in their effects as to
warrant them in advising an immediate relaxation of their
conditions," to which the Council agreed. During the period
between 17th February, 1896, and 2nd February, 1897 (when
the regulations were amended, so as to exempt dogs under
control and wearing collars with the names and addresses of
their owners*), the number of unmuzzled dogs seized was
44,743, of which 11,190 were claimed by their owners. The
remainder, with the exception of a small number of valuable
animals which were sold, were painlessly dealt with in the
lethal chamber.
The subject of rabies was brought vividly to my
attention in the month of January, upon receipt of
information that a poor man had been bitten by a dog, undoubtedly
rabid, as proved by the symptoms during life, and
by post-mortem examination,† I sent the man to the Pasteur
Institute on the third day, the cost incurred in his three
* Within the month of February, however, the Board of Agriculture
issued a fresh Order, imposing the use of wire cage muzzles, much to the
discontent of the owner of dogs.
† The dog was bitten by another dog, at Anerley, at the end of November,
1895. On 17th January, 1896, the dog began to show symptoms of being
"queer." On the 18th she was disobedient, and began to eat pieces of coal,
rags, &e. On the 20th, a peculiar bark was noticed. On the 21st, the animal
seemed not to understand what was said to her. She was taken to a Veterinary
Surgeon, who diagnosed rabies. An employe put the dog into a kennel, in
doing which he got bitten on the face. The dog having broken her chain, the
same man, in trying to fasten her up, got bitten again on the face, five wounds
in all being inflicted.