The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-09-14
How To Have Healthy Pigs.

Prof. Law, of Cornell University,
writes MS follows in regard to the proper
treatment of swine for the prevention of
disease: ....
"Keep your hogs clean. Protect them
from the hot, reeKlng bed OF manure and
close sleeping place, where the emana-
tions from decomposing dung, urine,
straw and other organic matter are al
ded to those of their own skins and lungs
when huddled together in great numbers.
See that both food and water are clean, in
he sense of being free from disease
.arms, and from the microscopic particles
decomposing organic matter which,
" thin the system as well as outside il,
I ,rnish appropriate TODD for the disease
roison, and iavor its increase, while
they dcpress its vital powers, and lessen
the chances of the virus being thrown off
No less important is the purity Of the air,
since the delicate membrane OF the
lungs, perhaps more than any other, furn-
ishes an easy mode of entrance for any
injurious external matter. Finally, pur.
Ity OF the blood can only be maintained
by healthy functional activity of ALT .
vital organs, which insures the perfect
elaboration OF every plastic constituent
of the blood, and the excretion of all
waste matters that have already served
their purposes in the system. BY perfect
cleanliness the poison, even if generated
or introduced, will be virtually starved
out, as surely as an army in closely be-
seiged fortress. But it will be observed
that this implies the separation of sound
from diseased animals, and the free u+e Of
sinfectants-solutions of sulphaLe Of
iron and chloride of lime, fumes OF burn
ing sulphur, &c.-to purify the air and
other surrounding objects, as well as the
simple clearing away of filth.
And il is here that the pork-rasers are
most frequently at fault. Fifty or hun
dred pigs are allowed To crowd together
in filthy manure heap, rotten straw
stack, or under barn, subjected to the
droppings OF other animals as well as
their own products. Their feeding
troughs and drinking water are so sup
piled that they can get into them with
their filthy feet and they must devour
the most obnoxious matter or starve. If
under this abuse disease Is developed, the
healthy are left with the sick, rs "thcy
will all have it any way" and the result
Is usually clean sweep.
When hog cholera exists the sick should
be placed by themselves under special
attendant, and under the free use Ct dis
infectants; the healthy should be CAREFUL
" watched, and on the first sign Of i'll
ness or increased temperature, as ascer.
tanned BY the introduction OF clinical
thermometer into the rectum, they should
be at once taken from the herd and care
fully secluded. This, with active dlsin
lection, will enable the owner To cut short
an outbreak, and save, perhaps the great
majority Of an already infected herd.
Again. the sale of ANIMALS from an in
tected stock. to be removed from the
premises alive, should be severely pun
ishcd. and the disinfeCtion of the build
inrs where the sick have been should be
made imperative. We shall obtain the
greatest success with this disease when
we treat it as contagious malady, and
wherever 1t is found TO exist give our
main attention to prevent the further
generation and dissemination OF the
poison.