Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-10-04


w. w. Brown, who is Regent of the
West Virginia University for this
Senatorial District, has taken great
pains to secure for our people all the
information available to him in that
capacity upon the subject of the cure
and prevention of hog cholera, and
furnishes us for publication the fol-
lowing in regard to this destructive
disease, which is now ravaging in our
county:
Any one who has ever examined
an animal that has died of this disease
will understand that medicines can be
of little benefit. The disease espe--
cially in the intestines and lungs and
are usually so great that no one with
any knowledge of the subject will be
surprised that no drug can cure in
every case. AS in typhoid fever,
and other diseases in man, all that
should be attempted is to assist the
natural forces of the animal in over
coming the disease. Any drug ad-
ministered for any other purpose
than this can do no good and may do
harm The administration of all
sorts of drugs recommended is enough
of itself to kill the animal in many
cases, and the practice cannot be
too severely condemned. Some cases
where the animal is particularly Wig
orous, or where the disease is of
mild type, recover of themselves, and
it is probable that remedies which
have gained popularity have done so
by having been tried upon such
cases, where the recovery would take
place without any treatment. There
are so few cases of recovery in some
outbreaks, and the difficulties. oftre
ment are so great that it is not advisa-
BILE to try any remedy at all.
Although the treatment of separate
cases is valueless, or even injurious,
as we have said, much may be ac-
complished in preventing the spread
of the disease in a neighborhood, or
even on a single farm. AS point
ed out by Salmon in his last report,
the sources of infection are as fol-
lows:
"Pigs purchased from infected
herds, or coming in contact with those
from infected farms, or running over
grounds occupied by diseased swine
within two or three months.
Objected streams may communi-
cate the disease to herds below the
source of infection.
"Virus may be carried in feed, i'm
plements and on the feet and cloth
ing of persons from infected herds
and premises.
"Winds, insects, birds particularly
buzzards) and various animals may
transport hog cholera virus"
Our efforts at preventing the spread
of the disease may be intelligently
directed if we carefully bear in mind
the above sources of infection. AS
will be seen, the disease does not
break out spontaneously. The germs
must be first brought from some in
fected herd. Itfollows that exclusive
diet Of corn, the eating of spoilt cot
ton seed meal, filth, the presence of
worms in the intestines, kidneys, or
elsewhere, cannot in themselves be
the cause of the disease.
AS the germs must be brought
from an infected herd, it is evident
that, if precautions are taken, the
spread of the disease can be prevent
ed. The first source of infection
pointed out by Salmon is the most
important, and it follows that all
communication between sick animals
on the one hand, and healthy animals
on the other, should be strictly avoid
ed, and the practice so common in
this State and elsewhere of allowing
hogs to run at large, makes it impos-
sible to successfully combat the ex-
tension of the disease. AS long as
this custom prevails, no measures can
be successfully employed to keep the
disease from spreading all over the
neighborhood from the point of the
first outbreak.
AS regards the second source of
infection pointed out by Salmon, the
latter found that the germs of the
disease may live, or even multiply, in
water, hence, it follows that hogs
should not be allowed to drink from
streams which have been polluted
above by diseased animals.
In view of the third source of in