Reports on the outbreak of rabies among deer in Richmond Park during the years 1886-7 / by A.C. Cope and Victor Horsley ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty.

  • Cope, Alexander C.
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on the outbreak of rabies among deer in Richmond Park during the years 1886-7 / by A.C. Cope and Victor Horsley ; presented to both Houses of Parliament by command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Experiments 1,2, 3, 4, on Rabbits Nos. 1,2, 3, 4. Experiments 5, 6, 7, on Rabbits Nos. 5, 6, and Dog No. 1. attempting to swallow water. It plunged its muzzle deep in the water, made champing movements with its jaws, and tried to swallow. The larynx could be seen rising in jerks just as in the human being, while the water ran out of the angles of the mouth. It did not eat. 22nd June.— Paresis set in this day. Every charge the animal made was accompanied by staggering, and not infrequently fell, the hind quarters, as in the other cases, sinking and the hind limbs collapsing. 23rd June.—Animal died in the night. Post-mortem Examination. As in Deer No. 3; save that the brain and spinal cord were more intensely congested. Microscopical examination of the tissues revealed the well- known changes that have been observed in man, the dog, &c, viz., extreme congestion, hocmorrhages, and extravasation of leucocytes, &c. II. PATHOLOGICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL REPORT. The outbreak of Rabies among the deer in Richmond Park was, as detailed in Mr. Cope's Report, investigated by him, and he received two animals at the Veterinary College for examination. From these two animals the medulla oblongata was removed and sent to the Brown Institution. In each case a portion of the medulla was crushed in sterilised bouillion, according to the method described by M. Pasteur, and a small quantity injected into the subdural space of two rabbits. The four rabbits thus inoculated all died of typical rabies, the incubation period varying from 10 to 14 days. The post-mortem appearances were most characteristic, as I have elsewhere de- scribed to be found in these animals when dying of this disease. (Report to the President of the Local Government Board of a Committee of Inquiry into M. Pasteur's treatment of Hydro- phobia.) Although the malady affecting the deer was thus proved to be Rabies, I consented at the request of Mr. Cope to complete the proof by testing the virus on a dog. I took therefore the medulla oblongata and cervical spinal cord of Deer No. 2 and inoculated therefrom (also by trephining two rabbits and one dog.) The rabbits died just as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, of typical Rabies, with the rather longer incubation period of 14-16 days. The post- mortem signs also were quite characteristic. The details of the dog's illness may with advantage be briefly alluded to, since this is the first instance in which the transmission of Rabies has been effected by inoculation from deer to the rabbit and the dog.
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