St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-06
THE HOG DOCTOR.
He Experimental With His Theo.
ries and Destroyed All the Pork

y -
erS.
The farmers and pork-raisers of this
section of the state, says a Lincoln
(Neb.) letter, are about as mad as they
can be and still keep within bounds of
the law. They were they happiest set
of ruralists up to few weeks ago that
they could be found anywhere, and now
they are beratlng themselves for being
made fools of by learned hog doctor.
This erudite physician is DR.. Billings,
the man who Sprang from nOnenity to
the biggest figure in the hog-raiSing
regions The moment he stepped forward
and proclaimed to the terrified farmers
that he had a scheme that would kill
hog cholera finally and forever. Thou
sands flocked to him and offered him all
the money he could use, and his fame
and fortune seemed destined to grow
without limit. 1t was not thought pos
sible that the erudition of the gentle
man could be wholly built upon pre-
umption and pretense. .
But the sequel proves that the Illus
ions of hope are as an empty bubbles
Banking upon the wisdom of the eX-
perimenter-at-the-eXpense-of-the-farm farm
erS-and-StOckraiser some time back,
the board of regents appropriated $500
for him and his aids upon which to COM
prove difficult task for him to find
willing victims. He represented to
farmers in different localities that he
had found sure cnre for hog cholera.
Indeed, he guaranteed to cure and
prevent cholera in every case where
hogs were in a healthy condition.
Such buster could not fail to in
spire confidence in every locality that
had been ravaged by the disease. And,
be it remembered, also, the great scien-
tiSt-Where best known as an arrant
quack and fraud-was backed and
practically sent out by the board of mi
versity regents. The work of inocula-
ton commenced. The eXperimenter
thought to ape Pasteur. His theory was
that healthy hog vaccinated from
virus taken from one diseased with
cholera would take the plague in a
mild form, would recover, and that
be the end of all danger to Mr.. Hog. 1t
seemed to beta plausible theory.
The work commenced in Richardson
inocufated with cholera virus. It
worked. Hogs took the cholera in mild
form and died in large numbers. The
disease spread and keeps spreading.
Healthy herds caught the plague from
vaccinated herds, and the hog kingdom
down that way bids fair to be swept
from the earth. Figures tell the story
in Butler county. DR.. Billings, assisted
by DR.. Thomas, went among farmers in
that county short time since with
scalpel in hand to become public bene-
factors. They were permitted to ex-
pertinent on four healthy herds, aggre-
eating 307 head of hogs, and out of
the numeber 29O took the disease
in mild form and lay down and died.
So much for DR.. Billings and hog inoc-
ulation. One of the victims, through
an attorney, writes these facts to one Of
the state officials day or two ago, in
quiring as to Billings responsibility,
and such other information as might be
necessary preceding prosecution. 1t is
a notorious fact that wherever Billings
has inoculated hogs throughout the
state hog cholera has spread in the most
virulent form and hogs have died off in
large numbers. The Billings expert.
mental agency went up like rocket
and came down like stick. 1t is about
time to suppress it, and, especially, say
a number of state officials and promi-
nent citizens of Lincoln, the man who
won his position by presumption and
pretenSe,