The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-29

traNel this SfOTI ulStduaI. a "
possible that an atmospheric or cilI1atlc
change would travel faster than TINS!
Again, if dependent on such conditions;
why do we find one township devastated
by it and another not many miles us
tant entirely free from it? Such IN
stances are very apparent In Haywood,
Mecklenburg. Lincoln, and CASTOR
counties at this writing, and were not
less so In Buncombe county IN 1877.
If it is claimed that this depends on the
condition of the soil, it is only necessary
to reply that In the outbreak just men
toned, in Buncombe county, there are
no facts to justify such a theory: In
S%wannanoa township, which Is high,
rolling land, with very few bottoms, no
swamps or malaria. and which cannot
be surpassed for healthfulness, the loss
was 90 per cent Of the whole stock
while in Upper Hominy, which has no
advantage over Salamanca III health
full location. but which is more remote
from thoroughfares travelled ty western
droves, the loss was only , per cent. 1t
was probably entirely free from tins dis
ease.
\ large number Of instances could be
DIOuuccu Vi CutDlcdhS III lhlo Jaw
particularly In the western part OF 1t,
clearly traceable to infected droves, and
this is, above all, the case with the first
introduction OF the disease. 1t Is dltfl-
cult to establish exact dates, but all ac-
curatc testimony points to 1899 as the
first appearance of this trouble. Some
think the earliest outbreaks might have
been a few years before that date, but
of this | have been able to get no evi-
dence. Mr.. Norris, of Polk county, re
members that a drove stopped at his
place in 1859 that some OF the hogs
died there Of the disease, and that sOon
atterward this malady spread among
most OF the hogs in that locality. This
was the first appearance OF the trouble
in that county. Mrs. Davidson, of
Buncombe county, remembers that
during the life OF her father, who was a
large hog-raiser, and who lived on the
route followed by the droves, no hogs
were lost by this disease, but that about
the time of his death 0S5S) droves came
through with sick animals, and that
this was the first appearance OF the dis
ease in that locality. Many other peo-
pie who cannot remember dates are
positive in the opinion that the disease
was introduced by drOves from Tennes-
see and Kentucky. One man remem-
bers that he was employed by the droves
to kill the animals that were sick and
cure the meat. He also remembers
that these animals had diseased lungs,
and such a bad odor that they could
| scarcely be dressed. This was his first
experience with the disease known as
..bn,r ob,ior, - H,lona Dell, ~
present commissioner OF agriculture, in
forms me that the first appearance of
this disease in Arson county was in
1859. that it was undoubtedly brought
there by western droves, and that these
animals died to such an extent that the
drovers took them secretly to the woods
and buried them under brush and rails
to conceal them. A drover who sold
his hogs in Georgia at that time in
formed me that the disease was first in
troduced in that State III 1859, and that
he had no doubt it was carried there by
the droves. Indeed, | have found but
one opinion among those best informed
on this matter, and that is, that the
disease was never known IN this section
till introduced by animals driven from
W eSterm States; and in some sections OF
this State. a part Of Alamance county
for instance, the disease never existed
till the present year.
Judging from all these facts, there
fore, We cannot escape h conclusions
that his disease is a contagious fever.
In this connection there is one more
question that is generally raised by those
discussing the nature OF this fever. and
+l,,+ - l.n. tlo l,.on.o - w, -, =
from ~pre-existing contagious germs, or
is it often or generally developed de moro
as a result OF improper hygienic sur
roundings? In the consideration of this
question | shall %confne myself to the
facts brought out by the investigation ia
this State, simply promising that most
of these facts are as true OF the Middle
States and probably Of most of the
Southern States as of North Carolina.
The first point that attracts attention is
the fact that this State was free from
the disease till about 1859, certainly till
it wa introduced by droves from other
States, whatever the date may be: hogs
had been kept in this State from the
time of its first settlement undoubtedly |
under similar hygienic conditions, and
yet the disease had not appeared up to
that time. when it was brought by i'm
ported animals, just as England was
free from contag Gus pieuro-pneumoDia
up to 1912, when it was imported with
animals from the Continent. 1t is
claimed that in the west the disease is
produced by oyercrowding and fifth, but
1 doubt if these animals are crowded
any more now than forty years ago in
deed, was surprised at the results of
my Investigations on this point, for, in
all the time have been visiting infected