Tom Scott

Why Doesn't Britain Have Rabies? (2014x97)

: 29, 2014

In 1993, the New York Times called rabies a "shared national nightmare" for Britain. For younger viewers, and those outside the UK -- say anyone who doesn't remember the Channel Tunnel opening -- "rabies" may just be one of those things you hear about on the news sometimes. But there are a lot of people who are proud of Britain being free of it. Here's why. I'm indebted to Pemberton and Worboys' wonderful "Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Rabies in Britain 1830-2000" - http://amzn.to/1xr1x2B - for a lot of fact-checking here, as well as inspiration. It turns out this is a properly fascinating subject: I had to cut so many fascinating things out of my script. (A five-minute monologue to camera on a windy beach isn't interesting.) I recommend you at least get the book from your local library. For example... FACT: The requirement for muzzling dogs extended to tiny, tame lapdogs, but not to "sporting" dogs, those used for hunting -- because the men writing the laws didn't want to muzzle their...