The Hillsborough recorder., 1879-01-22
HOG CHOLERA,


within the rs quarter of century, ex-
sendsd its nits to such degree US u b.
little les, than national calamity Il ap.
pears from time TO time iu nearly every
State in h Union. and causes annual losses
reaehiEg At times the enormous amounts OF
twenty to twenty-five millions Of dollars.
Wasay the disease ahas been extending
its limits. and we wish To call particular
attention to tbs fact. Thirty year, ago it
was urknswp IN the New En.l,nd. Md
die, Southern and some of the Western
States why is il that none Of these districts
are at present free from Il? We know that
hnndrcis If th"sc who will read this .qacs.
tion stand ready with an answcr--but scarce
ly two will agree Some will claim th,tit
j. caused BY errors Of iiet aud even here
there Is q variety Of opinions one will ray.
too much corn MI excess OF carbonaceous
elements in the tuod. Another il ready
with an opposite opinion too much clover
--an excess Of niir"genous elements. An
o:her class harrs on high breeding. pamrer.
ing. and weakenei constitution; while still
others are equally sincere in the opinion
that the cause exists in the restricted range.
oysr. .crowding and q III to which many hog.
srs subjected. Each man ~ill stand ready
with facts TO prove that he Is right. and
that proper application of his views will
rii the country Of this dreale malady.
But whence comes this variety Of opin.
ions? Are facts 20 deceptive ~ this' M;
iacts are not deceptive; il is simply the
careless observation aud explanation "f facts
that m,ke 80 much truuble-it is the accept
ing for fact tIat which is not fact. II
a mans hogs escape the disease while his
n.ighbOrs' die Vi ~. be attributes this io
something he has doue to prevent it-hs
has led them ashes. or coai. or soda. or
be maj claim this immunity is due to hi.
breed, which has better constitution. or
be has fed them corn. or clover. or butter
milk j; or his land is clay instead Of sand {:
his hogs have been on sod Instead of stub
bile. or his 6cld il surrounded by M oak
fence instead Of chestnut one. In the
presence Of all these conditions. however.
how does he decide which has actually besn
the preventive one? There is M use in die.
guis ng the maiier, he simply guesses ut il
and then publishes to the world as fact
th,t which is only guess. Ills hugs have
escaped there is the fact; why they have
escaped is and must be gurss-work till =
large number Of cases are observed. sll Of
which point in the same direetIun.
To illustrate huw some of our writers SUE
oeed 10 making their theuries plausible. We
will take the most absurd Of the preventive
conditions mentiune,. A man's hogs have
escaped. and in seeking for :he reason he
observes their pasture is surrounded by an
ssk fence he hears Il fanother person hogs
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES shnws they. tho.
were inclosed by an YAK fence. while must
Of the n-ighbors have usei chestnut. Al
another place the animals which were no,
attacked were within chestnut inclosure
this fact is incomprehen.ible. but IL caI,.
not overthrow the other facts which he has
collected. - the Inajority must ruls,' -
10 il 10, recorded: but he continues bis 10.
vestigatians. accepting these facts whicl
agree witlrhis opinions and rejecting al
others. Is il aay wonder that b. sni,, ha,
sn array Of facts which rruve that al osl
fence will preven. hog cholera! Ridicul.
Gus as this may appear Oh paper. IL Is jus
shat some veIy intelligent men have beei
doing for years IL IL The kind Of researcl
that has been II ling column after eolumr
of our agricultural journals; aud such meI
have influence. aud thousands accept thsh
doctrine
We can point 10 instances. however
where npBe ol the sausesso often inyokss
were present, and Jet The hog. died u 10,
saze eUent ~ elsewhere TIE fact l.. n,
breed il exempt. NJ = s,ion Il ~ .salnhri-
sas ~ to be free nn cpbshtio,- o. diet. o
Surroundings. of range. appreciably lessrl
the death rate. The disease l. contsgi
ous one. sud a. long as we neglect tL'
ssssatia. canse Of the disasc--the eUuta.
giouI germs-so long We will suaer ffoH
IL. No diet will prevent one from con
trasting smallpox or yellow fever; nor cai
any preventive measures be etisc,ssl shor
of limiting the production and spiead q
such germs aud destroying those alread!
existing 'st' s-~.~@@& f%
TtN nov certain that part Of the com
s,ission appointed nnder Act Il Congress h
insestigste this disease. sill recon,men'
measures for stasping il out {: and To 80
eompli.h this resuh. We must have farihe
Congressional aciiun---asisn which will ~,
bs taken unlesu dsmaHa 10 SIDE for Il
Ass people We are always ready 10 IN
vestigae--but very often wes'op with 'h
investigation. Let ~ rsmeHhsr that ti
amount of investigation ssn free us fr'n
vie A.sass. snlsss se enforce the Inesssss
which are Indicated. To stop with the 10
veeaieaiicn Il lle ssndae ~ doctor i
case of serious ilInea and errscfing 70 b
ss.sd without iskirp bis medicine Or FOL
losing his recommendations. =...-.z