The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-09-05
DISEASES AMONG SWINE.
Some Suggestions Relative to the Mortal
ity Among Hogs.

Some Suggestions Relative to the Mortal
ity Among Hogs.
Thirty years ago the hog was re-
garded as the least likely to contract
disease of any animal kept on farms.
Atpresent the mortality among hogs is
greater than among any domesticated |
animals. This seems strange in view of
thefact that mos. hogs are slaughtered |
before they have reached full year.
Young animals are generally healthy,
sfter they have passed the period Of
weaving. If they go through the
troubles incident to the change from the
mothers milk to the food supplied by
their owners they ordinarily get along
well till they have reached maturity.
Now the pig is more easily weaned than
the lamb, colt or calf, because twill eat
great variety of liquid food which fur
nish very good substitute for mothers
milk. 1t will readily eat the milk of the
COW, common swill, or any kind of
ground grain moistened and made thin
by the use of water. 1t does not suffer
while being weaned as most young ami
mails do. 1t is not label to 'infantile
disease" 1t is killed in early youth,
long before it reaches the age when
diseases are likely to occur.
Still the hog, under the influence of
civilization, has become very UNI
healthy animal. The disease known
as cholera is ravaging the pig-pens in
this country as it is the human habita-
tions in Spain. In many places eau
tiousfarmers fear to keep many hogs.
They regard them as very hazardous
property. The department of ,agricul-
lure has been investigating the disease
known as hog cholera for
moro than a dozen years. Every
new commissioner of agriculture
sends out persons to investigate the hog
cholera. They examine several dead
hogs and kill a good many that are sup
posed to be infected with the, disease.
They make extended reports that are
published by the government and dis
tributed about the country. If investi-
cation could stamp out hog cholera it
would have disappeared years ago. But
the Investigations go on, and so does the
swine plague. The only results of the
past Investigations are the production of
q large number of reports. No one at
taches any Importance or value to them
except the buyers of paper stock. They
buy them at the current rates for old
paper, which at present are very low.
Some farmers have faith that new
government hog-doctor will help them
,E fhnsr N.nY,h1n II 70 lilyalYr
that the great national farm overseer or
any of his numerous assistants will de-
wise any plan for preventing hogs from
becoming sick, or for curing them when
they become diseased That the disease
popularity known as "hog-cholera" is
contagious is now generally admitted;
that it originates in certain localities is
also commonly believed That its spon-
taneous appearance in a non-infected
region is due to some violation of the
laws governing health is eminently
probable. These laws are being con-
stantly violated by the owners of hogs.
On many farms hogs have no oppor-
tunities for washing themselves or for
taking sufficient exercise They are
kept for months at a time in yards or
pens which are filthy beyond descrip-
zion. They are kept half-starved dur
ing half the year, and stuffed during the
other half. Requiring great variety
of food, and obtaining it when in their
natural state, they are restricted to a
diet of raw corn. That they should
contract disease under these circum-
stances is no marvel. The only wonder
is that SO many of them live to be sent
TO the market or be killed by the butcher.
Chicago Times