The Iola register., 1889-08-16
DISEASES oE SWINE.


The Conclusions OF q Government Corn
mission-Two Forms Of Hog Cholera
Notwithstanding and Risk Of In
oculatiOn.
WASHINGTON, Aug. Elm December,
appointed a special commission for the
investigation of epidemic or rather epi.
zootic diseases of swine The commission
has just completed its report to Secretary
Rusk. After reciting the plan of ins esti.
CATION pursued by the commission they
presented as the sum of their labors the
following conclusions:
First-It is the opinion of the commits.
sion that there are at least two widespread
epidemic diseases Of hogs in this country,
which are caused by different micro-or.
ganisms, but which have clinical history
and pathological LESSONS more or less sim.
liar and very difficult to distinguish with
out the aid of the microscope. and resort
10 meteorological methods. One of these
epidemic diseases, viz: One that is called
by the Bureau of Animal Industry, the
swine plague, appears to be far less prev
alent than the other which has been
called ''hoy cholera"
The commission is further of the opinion
that hog cholera is caused by the specific
action of a certain distinct microbe named
by them the hog cholera germ. different
from other microbes described as present
in swine diseases. TIE commission is also
of the opinion, although to a less positive
degree, that the epidemic disease called
by the bureau authorities. "swine plague"
has as its specific cause a certain microbe
exhibiting characteristics which distin.
puish it from the germ" Of hog cholera.
The discovery of the diseases and of the
microbes to which they are due, must be
considered original on the part OF the
Bureau of Animal Industry, at least as
far as work in the United States is con.
cerned.
In the opinion Of the commission the
epidemic disease of swine Investigated, by
DR.. Billings and others in Nebraska, how
ever seemingly different in the published
descriptions, is identical in it's clinical
features, pathological LESSONS and spe cific
cause with this hog cholera" and fur
thermore. that the pathogenic microbe.
which is the specific cause of this disease,
is identical in both instances.
1t is the opinion of the commission that
The microbe which DR.. Detmers at present
regards as the specific caus. OF "hog chol-
era" is probably the same microbe which
is considered by the bureau authorities as
the specific cause of hog cholera.
From their observation of the methods
of psychological research pursued by DIR.
Billings in Nebraska, the commission is of
the opinion that it was difficult, if not i'm
possible. for that distinguished investi-
gator, by his usual m sthod, to discover
and isolate a germ associated with ''the
hog cholera germ" in the tissues sf the
body of the pig. Therefore the failure of
DIR. Billings in his researches to find the
so-caiied swine plague germ in the tissues
of the spleen (the organ from which he
most invariably made his cultures) can
not be regarded as incontestible proof that
the swine plague germ had no existence
in the afflicted hogs which had fallen un-
der his observation. and affords no evil
dence that this last named disease does
not recur in Nebraska.
The commission regards the experi-
ments concerning immunity as inconclu-
sive and as more or less indefinite; yet it
seems 10 be evident that there is a certain
degree of protection against artificial ac-
QUESTION of hog cholera possessed by the
Nebraska pigs which had been inoculated
and which had recovered from the natural
disease, the latter appearing TO be slight
ly less protected than the former. It is a
well known fact brought to light by re-
cent investigation concerning the rela-
tion of infectious diseases, that immunity
or protection from a second attack,
whether artificial or natural, is not abso-
iute, but only in relative degree. 1t Is
the opinion of the commission that disin-
fection, a general practical means of
preventing the enormous annual losses
from diseases of swine in this country,
can not be made effective under the con-
ditions which exist in the West and other
regions where hog raising is extensive.
As far as present knowledge extends, the
treatment of existing cases is futile.
There remain, therefore, TO be considered
but two alternative means Of prevention
quarantine and determination of infected
hogs, with their surroundings, or, on the
other hand, some form of preventive in
oculation.
Some of the tests made in Nebraska un-
dee the direction OF DIR. Billings certainly
give promi.e Of great possibilities in this
direction. 1t is the opinion of the COM
mission, however. that an attempt to pro.
duce immunity from 'hog cholera" artifi-
cially by the use of living germs Of the
disease. either through the stomach or hy.
poder mic incubation, is very objection
able and involves serious risk Of more
widely extending the disease aud increas-
ing rather than diminishing the enormous
losses therefrom. For every hog thus
treated becomes, for a time at least q
center Of infection from which an epi-
demic may be. directly or indirectly.
spread wildly. Furthermore. the use of
living germs seems, at least in many In.
stances to permanently stunt the growth
of the pig.