The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-08-16
Official Report on tl.. Ito. clolsr..

Official Report Oh the Ito. Cholera.
In December, 1883, Commissioners of
Agriculture Coleman appointed a special
commission for the inves igation of the
epidemic OF rather the %cpizootic disease of
swine. The commission has just COM
pletea its report to Secretary Rusk. After
reciting the plan of investigation pu sued
by the commission they presented conclu-
sions of particular interest to Nebraska. MS
shown below:
1T is the opinion of the commission that
there are at least W widespread epidemic
diseases OF hogs in this country which are
caused by different micro organisms. but
which are closely allied. They are hog
cholera and Swine plague In tie pin
ION Of the commission the epidemic dis
ease of swine investigate by DR.. Billings
and others IN Nebraska, however seeming
~ different in the published DESCRIPTIONS.
are identical i'll its clinical features. patho-
logical LESSONS and specific cause with this
hog cholera" and furthermore that the
patholog nlc mivrobc which is the specific
cause of this disease is identical in both
instances.
From their observation of the methods
OF bacterial research pursued by DIR. Bin
lngs III Nebraska tile commission is of the
opinion that it was difficult, if not impos-
sible. for that distinguished Investigator
by his usual method, to discover aud iso.
late Il germ associate with the hogcholera
germ" in the tissues of the body of the
pig. Therefore the fai ure of DIR. Billings
III his researches to find so-called Swine
plague" germ i'll the tissues of the spleen
tho organ from which he most invariably
made MS cuitures) can not be regarded as
incontcstlble proof TINT the swine plague"
germ had no existence in the afflicted i ogs
which have fallen under his observation
and affords no evidence that this last
named disease does not occur in Ne.
braska. The commission regard their
experiments concerning immunity rs in
conclusive. ane as moro or less indefinite;
yet, it seems to be evident that there is a
certain degree of protection against artii-
by tho Nebraska pigs which had been in
oculated and which had recovered from
the disease, the latter appearing to be
slightly less protected than tine former. 1t
is II we'll known fact brought to light by
recent investigation concerning the nature
OF infectious diseases that immunity or
protection from, a second attack, whether
artificial or natural, is not absolute but
only relative in degree. 1t is the opinion
OF the commission that disinfcrtion. as n
general practical means Of preventing the
enormous losses from diseases of swine IN
this country, cannot be made a success
under the conditions which exist in the
west and other regions where hog raising
Is ext ensive.
As far as our present knowledge extends
that treatment of existing disease is futile.
The reremains to be considered but two al
Tentative means of preventive quarantine
and determination of infected hogs with
their surroundings, or on the other la Il
some form of preventive incubation.
Some of the tests made in Nebraska by
Or. Billings give promise of great possible
ties in this direction. 1t is tie opinion of
the commission, however, thnt nn ATTEMPT
to produce immunity from "hog cholera"
artifcially by the use Of living germs of
the disease either through the stomach or
through hypodermic% incubation IS veryob.
jectionaole and involves n serious risk of
more widely extending the disease, and in-
creaslng rather than diminishing the enor-
nous loss the'efrom; for every hog thus
treated becomes q center of infection from
which m epidemic may spread widely.
Furthermore, the use of the living germ
seems, at least in many instances, to per-
manently stunt the growth of the pig.
A Reported Nebraska Find.
While d. ]. Brewer was making an exca-
vation Tor the purpose Of repairing the
dam of the st. James mills, at st. james.
he found. q huge pile Of bones, aud on
continuing his work discovered that the
bones belonged to some mammoth animal
long since extinct, and that the skeleton
lay in almost perfect order. He at once