Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-06-26
gslstt Mistsllanp.
noe CHOLERA.

HUI InOLEhAs
The following note, received by
DIR. Vattier, Postmaster of this city,
has been handed us, and we publish
the same that we may bring the mat
ter as prominently before tho public
as possible:
PosT-O OFFICE, NEW YORK,
Wednesday, May 27.
Dear Sir: Attention has been called
to disease said to prevail to some
extent among hogs at the West, call
ed Hog Cholera.
have been requested to obtain
some information on the following
points, to elucidate, if possible, the
cause, and thereby effect cure.
May l trouble you to inform me, con-
cerning the following perticulers, viz:
Is there much pork fattencdin your,
country? 1fso. still-fed or not2 Does
the disease prevail to any extent2 Is it
confined TO stil-fed pork? The nature
and symptoms of the disease, duration
Of the same, and is it contagious2
Perhaps, in the absence Of any per-
ooh"' hhO"acNSc Va yOuf OWh, bhc
desired information may be obtained,
on inquiry, among your neighbors.
An early reply will much oblige
Yours, truly, ISAACV. FOWLER,
There are many theoriers advanc-
ed in regard to this very fatal disease,
and although much inquiry and dis
cussion has been had in this part Of
tho country, whore the greatest in
terest in this Western product Is felt,
nothing satisfactory has as yet been
discovered as TO the cause of the
disease or for Unsuccessful treatment.
We have conversed freely with many
raisers Of pork in Ohio, Kentucky
and Indiana, and satisfactorily con-
vinced that hogs, In whatever manner
fed, either at the distilleries upon,
whisky slops, or in pastures orgrain,
they have been afflicted and have
died by scores from the disease called
for want Of better name, tho ''hog
cholera" The general impression,
and well founded IL seems, is that
the disease is contagious. In absence
of anything. moro interesting upon
this matter we publish the following,
new theory, extracted from one OF
our exchanges:
We have already noticed the alleg-
cd developments made by dissection
Of "departed" hogs at tho Edinburg
johnson County, Indiana distillery,
which indicate that the "cholcra" is
really consumption" We see,
still later, in the Paris (Kentucly)
Oitisen, a letter from DIR. Doughty TO
DIR. Peckhover, in which another
theory is advanced, likewise based on
dissection. If both these statements
are correct, and we certainly are not
in condition to dispute either, "hog
cholera" would appear to be sort Of
a name given, in total bewilderment
as to the real disease, to pretty much
any complaint that win kill hog,
excepting, possibly, thehammer and
knife Of the slaughterhouse. DIR.
Dougherty says:
Upon careful examination l found
the brain, spinal marrow, lungs,
liver, heart, stomach, the large and
part ofthe small bowel without disease.
But that portion Of the small bowel
next the stomach was literally filed
with worms TO the extent of several
feet, and in high state Of inhamma-
ton.
The worm was from two 10 FIVE
inches in length, resembling, in APP
pearancc, the Ascaris Of the human
subject, but harder, moro active, and
apparently more tenacious oflife. So
closely were they crowded in the
bowel, that their form could be dis
tinctly traced through itscoasts.
The diseasd, then, ofwhich the hog
dies, is inflammation of a portion Of
the small bowel, caused by this hard,
active worm, and producing the SYM
toms noticed in its course, viz: droop-
ing, indisposition to eat, diarrhea,
and finally, commissions and death.
The treatment, il seems TO mo,
must be altogether preventive. l do
not believe the worm could be dislodg-
ed by any treatment after inhamma-
ton is set up; but before this, while
the hog is apparently well, able to eat
and drink, | have no doubt that they
may be destroyed or removed in
many instances by judicious manage
ment.
Tho Doctor thinks the disease
'incommunicablo, 'andtho bestreme-
dy is some medicine to dislodge the
worms in their course of development.