The record-union., 1898-01-17
II Has Been Obtained From Both Horses
and Cattle.
Reuort Of Chief Of the Bureau Of
Animal Industry Dr.. D. e. Sal
mon to Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson-The Latter Will Ask
Congress to Make an Appro-
priation for Making Pure Ar
ticIe.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The Chief
of the Bureau of Animal Industry, DIR.
d. E. Salmon, has submitted to Secre-
tary Wilson a report upon the expert
ments made in the treatment of hogs for
This serum is made upon the same prin-
ciple as the antitoxine of diphtheria.
Good serum has been obtained from
both horses and cattle, a horse or COW
being inoculated with the hog cholera
virus in small quantities at first, and
with larger doses after suitable inter-
walls of time. The resistance of the an
imal is thus raised to the highest prac-
ticable point.
The blood Of such an animal when IN
jeCted under the skin of swine mas
been found to possess both preventive
and curative action. This serum was
first tested upon small animals in the
laboratory, and being found efficacious,
was last fall tested in Page County, Ia,
on several herds of swine, containing al
together 2IS animals. Leaving out one
herd, from which definite returns as 10
the cause of death could not be obtain
ed, only 80 died out of PA animals
treated, of which Sc We're sick. Conse-
quently SIS per cent of the animals of
these herds We're saved. OF untreated
hogs kept under observation during the
period referred to, about 80 per cent. OF
the animals died. DR.. Salmon believes
that with experience better quality of
serum can be prepared, and he has no
doubt that this percentage can be main
tanned hereafter.
Referring to this report, Secretary
Wilson remarked that undoubtedly the
results reported by DR.. Salmon were
most encouraging to hog raisers. The
cost of the serum now, said the Secreta-
nv, is but 10 cents per head of animals
treated, only one dozen being required,
and doubtless in course of time this
light cost may still be further reduced.
1T is, in my opinion" said the Sec
rotary, "of the utmost Importance that
this serum for the next year at least be
made by the bureau under our own gu
pelvision and distributed in large guam
titles in order to demonstrate its efficacy
upon a more extended scale. 1t is alb
solutely essential that during the ex-
perimental stage serum of undoubted
quality be used Unless the hog grow
ers can obtain it from this department
they will be forced to depend upon what
can be obtained from private sources,
and owing to the novelty of this prod
uct not only will discouragingly exorbi-
tant prices be charged for it, but in
many cases inferior products may be
offered. This would preclude the pos
sibility Of making a satisfactory test
on a widely extended scale. l propose
to ask Congress to provide an appropri-
alton necessary to enable this depart
ment to furnish two million doses OF
serum during the next year and to
make a considerable portion of the ap-
preparation Immediately available. 1t
seems from DIR. Salmon's report that ii
takes three or four months to put a
horse or COW in condition to supply the
serum, consequently the work upon an
extended scale must be undertaken al
once.
1.-THE losses from hog cholera are SO
enormous and have weighed so heavily
for years upon our farmers that / can
not imagine that Congress will for a
moment hesitate to make the appropria-
tions necessary to carry on this work
thoroughly. Indeed, apart from the
great stake the farmers have in this
matter, to refuse to provide for thor
ough test Of this remedy now would be
indeed, pennywise and pound foolish;
for the discovery of this serum has in
volved already many years of work and
"a very large sum of money. 1t would be
q great mistake now that so great a
discovery seems to have been made not
to finish the work by giving 1t a thor
ough and extensive test"