“ to prefer a cure perhaps strange to many
to the certain death of the patient ”
(Mandate of Frederick August Duke of Saxony Against the Running About of the Dogs and the Hydrophobia in General and What is to do against it. Along with the annexes “Cause of the Hydrophobia of the Dogs and the Symptoms of such Rabies” and “Instruction How one has to behave in Case of a Bite of Rabid Dogs and How one can take Precautions against the Sad After-Effects”). Published Dresden September 7, 1782. Ibid., Electoral Saxon Court-Printing, (1782). Fol. (34.8 x 21 cm). With two vignettes in woodcut. 12 ll. With the printed ducal signature along with the “L(oco) S(igilli)” mark and counter-signatures by George Wilhelm von Hopffgarten + the secretary Chr. Gottlieb Kretzschmar in the same way. Stitched.
File number “Nom: 13.” by old hand on title. – Especially the main part in beautiful, large typography. – Wide-margined.
Extraordinarily rich decree
on combat + cure of hydrophobia .
Beginning with the reduction of the dogs in general and directions to the landlords their impecunious tenants not to allow owning dogs unless they use them professionally. In cases of refusal to give up them the authority has to be informed. Dogs running about will be catched twice a year and slayed like the rabid if they are not collected by their owners within 24 hours. Peasants, coachmen, slaughters, and others have to chain up their dogs under the car if they must take along them coming to town. And in town and country generally no dog is permitted to run round, but to chain up, to hang with beetles or to lead by ropes. If a rabid dog known all others have to be locked in till the danger is over. But
“ (to avoid the eruption of a rabies at the dogs as far as possible and to take precautions the sad after-effects of a bite of rabid dogs all dogs
have to be cut the so-called mad-worm without exception ”
by persons appointed by the aldermen, “who are able to cut the mad-worm sufficiently skillfully and for each dog, he may be large or little, they should obtain two ten-pfennig pieces in the town and the half in the country.” And for the confirmation a ten-pfennig piece here and six pfennige there. And in pharmacies, but also at other places, has to keep the medicine prepared from may-worms sufficiently in stock.
But of quite outstanding interest the “detailed description” of the causes of the hydrophobia on two pages and, above all,
the directions for the therapy of a bitten man on 8 pages
with all details in respect of cleansing the wound, hygiene, rest, diet – elder-flower-tea – and animated care.
This richness of details makes the mandate to a really good source. Next to the so-called mad-worm thats elimination – so with a Prussian decree of 1797 – was diagnosed as worthlessly later. And quite especially in comparison with the following 16-page mandate of 1796 which attaches importance to the hygiene of animal + man generally as being absent still here.
Offer no. 13,082 / EUR 496. / export price EUR 471. (c. US$ 642.) + shipping
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