Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-04-27
Disease Among Swine. What is the
Remedy


Remedy?
Disease among swine is increasing
from year to year to an alarming ex-
tent, and though the more malig
nant forms of disease visit vast areas
of the West periodically entailing
great loss to farmers, often when
they can least afford it, the main
cause of disease is continually In
force. In the ordinary care and
management of hogs, the seeds of
disease are continually being plant
ed, and these only require wet and
miasmatic season, and the develop
ment of some form of "hog cholera"
in single animal in q herd to pro
duce the small beginning which may
end in great disaster, not only in an
individual lot, but spread from farm
to farm.
What greater mistake is made by
breeders than to continually over
look the cause Of this malignant
forms of disease, while searching for
some nostrum which will stay the
ravages of the malady, Judging from
our own experience we are convinc-
ed that prevention is within the
reach of all, if all can be induced to
cooperate in employing the means
of prevention, while the great "cure
all" will probably never be found
Farmers are continually looking for
some remedy in the form of medi-
cine, or patent nostrum, while
wrong food, bad air, little exercise,
filthy quarters, and the sum of all
these conditions of disease multipli-
ed by the scores Of gasping creatures
which send out continuous wall
of unrest upon the night air, from
the stunted stys throughout the land,
remain in full force. Farmers must
go to the root of the matter before
this runious devastation can be
stayed. The prepotency of the ami
NAL should not be lost sight OF in
this connection, for while wonder
full results have been obtained in the
development of the character and
type of the various breeds, all the
intirmities of constitution are being
continually Transmitted to an .'accumu-
lated degree.
While we are gaining in the per-
lection of form, size, and the easy
fattening qualities of the hog, we
are losing in the vigor of constitu-
ton and in the quality of the pro-
duct supplied by him. The discov-
cries Of the hour teach us that dis
eases among swine are produced
more or less by parasitic causes, IN
festival worms, etc; and it may be
found yet that microscopic or in
tinitcssimal germs of disease, may be
at work in some Of the external de-
velopments Of ''hog cholera" Trl-
china, though not considered dis
case in swine, is one of the effects OF
bad management of the animal.
Now tho question presents itself,
allow shall these effects of disease
be removed, that millions of dollars
may annually be saved to our farm
ers?" 1t is evident that the cause
must be removed to avoid the effect.
Added to the causes of disease indl-
Gated above, there is no doubt that too
much corn is an important factor in
producing conditions that invite this
disease, This grain lacks some OF
the most important elements neces-
sary to promote healthy and a
steady, vigorous growth in an ami.
NAL. 1t is largely carbonaceous and
develops superabundance of fat,
which is an abnormal growth, and a
weakened vitality. Corn does moi
make the frame grow OF develop the
muscles as it should, but produces
costivcness, contracts the digestive
organs, end robs the animal of his
constitution and vitality, and leaves
him an easy Frey to parasite destruc'
ton.
Beef and mutton are said to con
tain more albumen and more OF the
phosphate and heterogeneous elements
and therefore are more wholesome
for human food than pork. These
elements are necessary to make bone
and muscle, and to give vigor OF
constitution to our race, and there
is no doubt that pork would approach