Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-08-15
DISEASES or SWINE.

: as=tszess = -
DISEASES or SWINE
The concIu.iops of !. Governments con-
mfssion-Two Forms of Hog Cholers
Presalent-Uncertzinty and Risk Of In
Oculation.
WASHINGTON, Aug. Sin December,
1883, Commissioner of Agriculture Colman
appointed a special commission for the
investigation of epidemic or rather epi-
xootic diseases of swine. The commission
has just completed its report to Secretary
Rusk. After reciting the plan OF inv esti-
cation pursued by the commission. they
presented as the sum of their labors the
following conclusions:
First-It is She 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 a clinical history
and pathological LESSONS more or less SIM
liar and very difficult to distin guish with
out the aid of the microscope. and resort
to 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 '.hog cholera"
The commission is further of the opinion
that hog cholera is caused by the specific
action of certain distinct microbe named
by them the hog cholera germ, different
from other microbes described as present
| in swine diseases. Tae 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.
| euish 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 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 its 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 ms .ances.
| 1t is the opinion of the commission that
the microbe which DR.. Detmers at present
| regards as the specific cause 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 DR..
| Billings in Nebraska, the commission is of
| the opinion that it was difficult. if not inn
possible, for that distinguished investi-
| gator, by his usual m=thod, to discover
| and isolate a germ associated with ''the
| hog cholera GERM in the tissues IF the
body of the pig. Therefore the failure Of
| DR.. Billings in his researches to find the
| so-caIled swine plague germ in the tissues
| Of the spleen (the organ from which he
| HI -,
| not be regarded as incontestibie proof til at
| the swine plague germ had no existence
| in the afflicted hogs which had fallen un-
| der his observation. aud affords no evil
| dence that this last named disease does
| not recur in Nebraska
The commission regards the expert
ments concerning immunity as inconciu-
| 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 10 be slight
| ly less protected than the former. 1t is q
| we'll known fact, brought to light by re-
cent investig ations concerning the rela-
ton of infectious diseases. that immunity
or protection from second attack,
| whether artificial natural, is not abso-
| lutte, but only in a re- alive degree. It is
| the opinion of the commission that disin-
! lection, as 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, 10 be considered
| but two alternative means of prevention
| quarantine and extel ID nation of infected
| hogs, with their surroundings, or, on the
other hand, some form OF preventive in
| oculation.
| Some of the tests made in Nebraska I'M.
| deG the direction OF DR.. Billings certainly
| give proni-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-
| podeI mic incubation, is very objection.
| able and involves a serious risk OF more
| widely extending the disease and increas-
| ing rather than diminishing the enormous
| losses therefrom. For every hog thus
| treated becomes, for time at least. q
center of infection from which an cpl
| 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.
| The President Goes to Maine
Boston. Aug. 9.-The special train with
President Harrison and party. President
| Lord, of the Boston & Maine railroad; ;
| Northumberland Bracket, members
| of the Governors staff and corps of
| newspaper men pulled out of the Boston
| & Maine depot at nine O'Clock yesterday
| morning on the way to Bar Harbor. The
| engine, which is the new 45-ton locomo-
| tive Tippecanoe, was decorated with
! flowers.
| Great crowds cheered the President at
| the station, and he bowed right and left
| from the rear platform, but made no