Vol. 60, 1909 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

EDITORIAL. 103
quently they repeatedly attempt to drink,
even though it produces much pain. Cumever
produces the disease. Subcutaneous
injections with a needle of very small diammins,
of the University of Michigan, dis- eter are very seldom successful, while applicusses
this subject interestingly in the Phy- cation of the virus to divided nerve filaments
sician and Surgeon. Hydrophobia is an is generally efficacious in producing the
acute infectious disease communicated to disease.
man by the bite of an animal suffering from The Pastuermethod of treatment is a prorabies.
It is due to a definite si)ecific virus cess of immunization which must be com.
which is transmitted through the saliva by pleted before the development of the diseasethe
bite of a rabid animal. Its natural After symptoms appear if is of no value,
habitat is in the nervous system, and it does This immunization can be obtained in those
not retain its virulence when introduced
into any other system of organs. It is eswho
have not been infected the same as in
those who have been bitten In dealing
sentially a nervous disease, and transmitted with the ordinary infectious diseases one is
by the saliva of rabid animals. When in- not always aware of the fact that he is inoculated
into a wound this virus must come fected. But this is not so in hydrophobia,
in contact with a broken nerve trunk in The individual always realizes when and
order to survive and reproduce itself. If by how severely he is bitten by a rabid dog.
accident it attacks the end of a broken nerve And were it not for the significant fact that
trunk it slowly and gradually extends to there is a period of so-called latent developthe
higher nerve centers and eventually pro- ment of the view, it would be impossible to
duces the disease. carry out the Pasteur treatment. The patient
The relation of water to the disease is very takes advantage of this fortunate provision
much overrated. A dog never develops of nature and is immunized betore the develrabies
because of the lack of water, or l)e- opment of the disease. This same prophycause
he is confined. The animal may be lactic principle is applicable in dealing with
overheated during the hot summer months, smallpox, tetanus, or bubonic plague,
and he may not have sufficient water to However, in these infectious and contaquench
his thirst, but these conditions alone gious diseases one is not always knowingly
cannot cause the disease. As far as we exposed and infected.
know, there has never l)een a case of spontaneous
rabies. Invariably, whether the
disease exists in man or animal, the history
EDITORIAL NEWS ITEMS.
will point to a previous infection bv a dis- „ ^ „ . ^ „ . .
eased animal. The transmission thus, from
Peachtrce Heights Sanatorium.
animal to auira-al, is necessary for the main- In Atlanta, Oa., on July 1, '09, the Peachtenance
of the disease. The virus very tree Heights Sanatorium for the treatment of
rapidly dies outside of the Ijody; it is of tuberculosis was opened to receive patients,
very low resistance to heat and dessication, This institution is located on the highest
and laboratory experiments conclusively
prove that it cannot exist in nature.
point on
Atlanta.
Peachtree Road, eight miles from
A beautiful tract of thirty-six
Rabies is not a hot weather disease, as
was ordinarily believed and maintained up
acres, a considerable portion of which is in
woodland—chiefly pine forest— and situated
to a few years ago. The number of cases on the main line of the Southern Railroad,
during the winter months of the last few
years has disi^roved this belief and the rechas
been purchased by those interested,
A handsome administration building has
ords of the Institute show an increase of been erected. In it are the administrative
about thirty percent, in the ijumber of cases and physicians' offices, recreation room,
over the summer months. However, these dining room and culinary departments, beconditions
are exceptional and due to the sides private rooms and baths.
occurrence of a real epidemic. Ordinarily For the accommodation of patients, the
we meet only sporadic cases, hut when the most approved types of lean-tos and indiconditions
are favorable, veritable epidemics vidual shacks have been installed, so that
have broken out and it is this matter which the full benefit of the fresh air treatment
requires the careful attention of those who may be had, combined with a maximum of
are concerned in the protection and preser- protection from inclement weather. The
vation of public health. needs of the ladies have been especially
It is known that infection depends largely borne in mind in the construction of these
on the part of the body and character of the buildings. The buildings are all to be
tissue into which the virus is inoculated, heated and lighted by the most imjjroved
The disease ahvaj's develops when iiijec- methods.
tions are made into the brain, into the eye, There is an abundant supply of pure
or into the nerve trunk. Intravenous innections
of the active virulent virus hardly
water, the source of which cannot be con-
laminated. A complete sewage system with