(Mandate of Frederick August Duke of Saxony Regarding the Restriction of Dog-Ownership and the Precautions to arrange against the free running about of the dogs and for prevention of the danger to be afraid of rabid dogs. Along with the annexes “Causes of the Hydrophobia of the Dogs and the Symptoms of such Rabies” and “Instruction How one has to behave in Case of a Bite by Rabid Dogs and How one can take Precautions against the Sad After-Effects”). Published Dresden April 2, 1796. Ibid., Electoral Saxon Court-Printing, (1796). Fol. (34.8 x 22 cm). With large initial vignette in woodcut and a second one. 16 ll. With the printed ducal signature along with the “L(oco) S(igilli)” mark and counter signatures by Friedrich Adolph von Burgsdorff + the secretary Friedrich Moßdorf. Stitched. Uncut.

File number “Nom. 23” by old hand on title. – Last four ll. with small worm-gallery in the wide white upper margin. Final leaf with two brownspots. – Especially the main part in beautiful, large typography. – Wide-margined.

with direct reference to the previous mandate of September 7, 1782, “for the purpose was not achieved sufficiently … we have felt Ourselves … obliged … to issue another mandate and in that,

after  the  experiences  made  since  the  publishing  of  the  mandate  above ,

to collect all that what in respect of the subject has to be observed in future”.

Beginning with the reduction of the dogs generally, “because the danger for the public will be enlarged by keeping of useless and unnecessary dogs running about and at the same time a substantial part of the indispensable foodstuff is taken away from the people. Especially it is not the point to allow dog-ownership to the notorious poor who receive their living totally or partly by the local handout-office and in such way support their dogs at the public expense. But if the authority should permit it after all than to only one dog per family”.

Dogs running about without muzzle have to be catched at night generally, otherwise as required, but not under twice a year, and are redeemable for eight – in case of their capture by the night-watchman 16 – ten-pfennig pieces, irrespective of additional punishment. Peasants, coachmen, slaughters and others have to chain up their dogs under the car if they must take them along coming to town. And in town and country generally no dog is permitted to run round freely, but to be chained up, supplied with a so-called muzzle or lead by ropes. If a rabid dog is known all others have to be locked in till the danger is over.

As diagnosed as being worthless and therefore no longer mentioned the former liability to cut the so-called mad-worm. New in the decree, however,

–  and  that  is  the  introduction  of  the  precautionary  quarantine  –

“ for averting the most sad after-effects to be afraid of rabid dogs … each dog-owner … has to observe minutely his one and to lock it in at once if he feels symptoms – as described in annex I – how vague ever they may be. But if the surmise will be true the dog has to be killed immediately. ”

And  thereupon  complete  hygiene  follows  on  the  quarantine :

“ A killed rabid dog … just as all other animals bitten or killed by a rabid dog has to be buried two yards under ground at least – so already per 1782 – and to be covered with lime. Also it is proceeded with caution that nothing is touched with one’s bare hands, but

with  gloves  or  by  help  of  wooden  poles

which instruments are thrown along into the pit … and not in a river or run flowing by. ”

“ All garments, beds, resting-place, and other tools a sick person bitten by a rabid dog and really befallen by the rabies has used, likewise the articles of clothing a rabid dog may have touched when it attacked a person also if it did not bite really the latter have to be burned up or buried in the same way and with the same caution as above. ”

Of outstanding interest furthermore the 3½-page “detailed description by Our Board of Health” on the causes of the hydrophobia enriched by new aspects and enlarged nearly double the size compared with the former one and here, freed of some absurdities, especially the

6½-page  instruction  to  treat  to  a  bitten  person

with all details to clean the wound, hygiene, rest, temperature, food – elder-bloom-tea – and animating care, but not without consultation of a physician or – at least – a qualified bather at the earliest. Compared to the edict of 1782 additionally also

But in such a way

a  medical  and  hygiene-historic  example  of  first  rank .

Offer no. 13,082 / EUR  496. / export price EUR  471. (c. US$ 668.) + shipping

„ heute kam das Paket – vielen Dank für die excellente Verpackung. Das Bild ist wirklich sehr schön … Wir freuen uns auf Ihre (weitere) Nachricht. Herzliche Grüße aus F. “

(Herr + Frau T. C., 13. Mai 2002)