Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-02-23
Bovine Diseases.

Among the many questions conect-
ed with the contagious diseases of ani>
mails those most suitable for discussion
at this convention are the ones which
are nearest related to the subject of
prevention. There are still too many
people who cling to the old ideas Of the
origin and nature of contagious dis
eases. Our popular writers still teach
that they are the result Of the "absorp.
ton of foul matter from impure air,
and that good ventilation and pure air
are specific preyentives." Good ven
tilatiOn and pure air are excellent
things, but if they are specific proven.
tives how can we explain the cases of
CHAMBERS which occur among horses
that seldom see the inside of stable,
the cases Of hog cholera in the open
field, and of chicken cholera among
fowls which are never housed.
Other writers, and their name is le.
gion, tell us that the origin of hog
cholera, for instace, is easily explained
by the conditions under which hogs
are raised, particularly in the West.
Large numbers are kept together /;
they have the reprehensible habit OF
crowding each other to an uncomforta-
BILE degree in their sleeping places;
they have so little regard for hygienic
rules as to be two or three deep. As a
necessary consequence the under hog
breathes terribly impure air; he even
inspires so much dust that this alone
would cause inflammation of the lungs.
Couple this with his injudicious and ir-
regular diet, and the origin of hog
cholera is so clear that our friends are
abundantly satisfied; they rather OBJ
ject to additional evidence for fear Of
unsettling beliefs now held with the
most implicit confidence. We are even
told that foot.and mouth disease is as
indigenous to England as the frogs AND
mists; mat it always existed and al
ways will, because it is provoked by
the climate and manner of keeping the
cattle.
The truth seems to be with most il
not all the contagious fevers that every
case is produced directly or indirectly
from germs which we're developed by ,
case which preceded it, just as every
crop of corn is produced by seed from
preceding crop. l care not how
we'll you prepare your ground, hov
favorable you make the conditions o
life, you cannot get a crop OF corn-s'
a contagious fever is the result of tn,
development Of living organism il
the animal body, and you can no NOR
get crop of that organism withou
seed than you can the crop Of corn
lust here | am usually met with al
argument apparently looked upon a
invulnerable, forever demonstrating the
spontaneous production of ANNA
plaques. These diseases, it is said
. could not always have been cOntracte'
from pre-existing animals-there mus
have been first case Of disease. N
, doubt of it; but this is one of thos
philosophical considerations which j
not as practicable as it appears upol
its face. So, too, there must hav
been first grain Of corn, a first pig,
first sheep, a first calf but let the youn
f farmer of to day put his land in tn
, most favorable condition possible, an
f sit upon the fence expecting the origi
de novo Of his corn, his pigs, his shee
, and his cattle--you know that h
might sit there until his hair was whit
l and his eyes grew dim with age will
: out seeing such a phenomenon-nO, nj
f if his farm took in continent and b
2 field of vision embraced it all. And
the contagious organisms were as larG
r MS cattle, sheep or pigs, or even I
!. grains Of corn, so that their gOings an
{ comiDgs might be traced as we ca
= | traoe thoso fh;uA, thara mould no =,