St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-05-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
HOO CHOLERA.

FARMER AND PLANTER.
HOG CHOLERA.
Aethods ef Rsnsdyiag. 8sstsiettng and
discriminating the Dasease.
Just now . good deal Is being said
In the public presses on the subject OF
hog cholera, People are casting about
for remedies, means Of restriction aud
methods Of exterminating the disease.
This IL IN interest that awakened pc
riodically, and always coincident with
IN outbreak of the disease. Last fall
the farmers experienced unusual IA
talities among their swine from this
disease. All the causes which contrib
uted to the unusual extent Of this cpl
xOotic may not be perfectly apparent,
but certainly number, q very large
number Of active centers were started
. little more than a year before through
shipping of hogs from the drouth-
stricken districts of Nebraska. A num-
Der OF instances came under my obser-
walton where such shipments were fol-
lowed by outbreaks of the disease, in
communities where the swine had been
perfectly healthy up to that time.
l frequently have the questions put
to me: What are we going to do?-
Ills there any remedy for this thing?''
Can it be prevented" and SO ON
through the list.
For more than fifteen years l have
been saying, whenever the occasion
presented itself, and sometimes when
It did not, that the only rational
method of relief under the present
state of medical science is sanitary po-
lice regulations; that specific treat
ment must, from the very nature of
things, fail of satisfactory results.
do not know that 1 can state my posi-
ton on this question much better than
to give a few extracts from one of the
first articles ever wrote on the sub
ject. II not the first of my writings
on the question, it certainly embonies
the essentials of the first deliberate
judgments arrived at as to the meth
DDS of control.
The theory that the disease is not
contagious, but due to unhealthfnl
food and neglect of sanitary condi-
tions, is no longer entertained by any
investigator whose work in any sense
entities him to be regarded as author
ity. A diet of corn in q den of filth
can no more generate q case of swine
plague than similar surroundings and
unwholesome food will develop small
pox in man. 1t is a specific type of
disease. 1t comes from its own kind.
and produces its own kind. Sections
OF the state are to-day free from the
disease where a few years ago it ragged
with such violence that the production
OF pork almost ceased for a time.
Other counties that were free from the
disease at that time had a large part
of the pork crop swept away for two
or three years in succession. Yet the
conditions under which the animals
are kept in these different sections
have not changed in any essential fea-
ture during these years. We must
seek elsewhere than in dietetic and
sanitary causes for an explanation Of
these facts. The method of
communication Is not always obvious,
but the instances are SO numerous in
which the disease has been reproduced
by accidental exposure and by expert
ments that the inference can not be
avoided that contagion is the cause of
its spread over the country.
1t is of material Importance in dealing
with the disease to know whether it
may develop spontaneously At a hun
dred points in the state, or whether
there must be some method of COM
municating the injecting material to
the unprotected animals. If its devel-
opment is spontaneous, then we have
little hope of ever freeing the country
from the scourge. Plans for eralicat-
ing the disease would be no guarantee
against fresh outbreaks at any time.
There is little hope from therapeutic
agents. Hog cholera cures may be ex-
cellent commodities to sell, but SO far
rs my experience and observation 90
they are poor class of property to
buy. 1t is my opinion that the money
sunk in these nostrums would buy
more pork in the market than it saves
in the pen. As with the
highly fatal epidemics, safety rests not
In specific cures; but in proper meth
dds of prevention. Legislative in
can be interposed with inn
portant results if properly directed.
but this must look to stamping out
the disease, not curing the sick ami
mails 1t proper, uniform legislation
could be had in the several states, or,
what would be much better, similar
by the national congress,
the disease could be eradicated in this
at . cost of 25 per cent. of the
total loss for one year. This could
only be done by visiting every infected
rs soon - the disease made
its appearance, and at once destroying
all infected swine. thoroughly disin-
fecting the premises and imposing
such quarantine restrictions rs would
arrest Of further infection. Railroad
cars, and all other c0nveyances used
for the transportation Of swine, should
never be allowed to move from the sta
ton to which consignment was made
until they have been thoroughly dis
Infected. There would be much OF de-
tail in carrying into effect such 4 sys-
tenn, but nothing that is impractible.
So far as known, this is the only sys-
tenn that has in it . reasonable hope
Of success.
Other discoveries may yet be made
that will throw additional light on this
question, but as yet they only exist in
NJ. Stalker. Iowa State
Veterinarian.
FARM PROFITS.
They Are Usually Ample IL They Wero
Not Absorbed By Respectable Robbers.
The sdversities that befall the farm
ers arc not due wholly to small crops
md unfavorable seasons There is