Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-05-25
Sly FEVER.

the herd: For aught we know, this
animal may have been sick for days
or weeks before death, and very pos
sibly others had recovered from
slight attacks long before the death
of the first pig. I am inclined to
think its period of invasion very
much longer than we have been in
the habit of calling it. If the Their
mometer will ever prove useful, it
will be in the beginning of an out
break Of this disease, long before its
is established and the herd
decimated. From the fact that all
are not sick and die with the same
symptoms, the owner is quite apt to
conclude that his hogs are not sick
with the same disease as somebody
else's that he has seen or heard about.
No wonder the common people are
deceived as to it's real nature, and no
one thing has had worse tendency
to mlslead that its popular name.
Cholera is always associated with
and a vomiting, which
symptoms are commonly wanting.
As rule, the youngest and weakest
contract the disease in the first in
and it is not till the poison of
the disease has become concentrated
by numerous causes IN the same at
mosphere, that it attacks the older
and stronger ones. 1t is no uncom-
mon thing to see the pigs under one
year Of age about all carried off be-
fore those of one year older are dis
eased in the slightest manner. AS
this disease is prevalent at all sea-
sons of the year, climate has nothing
to do with its production. | have
known it to break out in every
month of the year; but extreme heat
and cold arc its more favorable peri
ods. The proportion of deaths to
recovery are uniformly large, and
but few escape who are exposed to
It's contagion. One of Darwin's the
ories here holds good-the survival
IF the fttest'' is the rule in this
disease. Pregnant sows uniformly
recover, but their pigs perish IN utero
and but few are born alive, having
oerished long before delivery. The
mode Of conveyance from sick to
we'll is generally by their own spe-
lies, but l am well convinced that
he disease can be carried in cloth
ng of person in attendance upon
sick hogs. Care should be exercised
n this particular. Dogs are fruit
ul source in spreading this disease,
Is there are very many more good
Done dogs than any other breed.
Carrying home bones Of animals
lead of this disease has caused more
oss to the swine grower than the
dogs would sell for in any market.
Wolves and all other rapacious ami
mails or birds may spread the dis
ease in the same way. There is no
more effectual way of disposing Of
dead pigs than cremation.
There is no fastidiousness about
thus disposing of Mr.. Pig, and he is
then powerless for evil. Not SO if
we attempt to bury him, as it is next
to impossible to place him beyond
the reach of dogs or his fellow pigs.
An animal dead of this disease, and
undergoing decomposition, yields a
poison of the highest malignity,
which takes months if not years to
destroy. There is or can be no safe
ty while the dead carcasses are not
utterly destroyed. The distance to
which the poison may be carried is
not so we'll determined as it should
be. I am satisfied / have known the
to be carried across the
and perhaps twice that dis
lance would not afford immunity.
For my own part should very much
prefer it ABOUT the same distance we
get to the milk-slckness-five or six
miles away.
Perhaps it would have comported
with the truth to have named this
disease Greedy fever. 1t was born
of greed, has been propagated by
greed, and has resulted III ruin 10
many possessor. The average
granger of to-day is no more devoid
Of selfishness than his ancestors
were. All the world is striving for
something fornothing, and the, granger
wants to put his corn where it will
do the most good. Riches take to
themselves wings, and swine have
an uncertain life. l have just been
looking over just as good a portion
Of our swine producing country as
the sun shines upon; and what ac-
for their quarters do
you suppose are to be found? The
rule is, any place is good enough for
a hog. The result is, not much more
than one-half of last springs pigs
are alive at this writing. Now, If l
tell you that all this loss is the con-
sequence Of ignorance, or worse than
that, of greed, you may think me
harsh and unjust in my conclusions,
put the fact remains all the same.
Millions of dollars haye been saved
to their owners by their providing
accommodations for their
pigs. Were it proper to call names,
might refer to fancy breeders who
sell pigs at long price, and whose
whole accommodations for their
swine are not worth more than the
price of one or two pigs. 'Likc
master like man." This brings to
mind an anecdote of two sons of En-
in. Pat paid a visit to his friend
Mike, and found the pig occupying
the best room in the house. Pat ex-
postulated with Mike on the subject,
who replied, "And can l turn the
out of doors who pays
the remit" Any place Is, OF may be
good enough for a hog, but those
who propose to keep many should
be able and willing to provide suita-
BILE quarters for them. 1t may not
be criminal not to do SC, but it is
certainly not human and may not
prove so profitable. We all thrust
our greenbacks down into our trous-
ers pockets, lock up our bonds in fire
md burglar proof safes, and provide
quarters for all domestic an
mails but swine, who are expected
% ''root hog or die;" and this last
hey sometimes do by wholesale, and