The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-01-18
LIVE STOCK.
HOTEL sWILL FATAL TO HOGS

Competent Authorities.
Correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
The frequent fatalities among hogs
fed with Stops obtained from the hotels
and boarding houses of the larger
towns and cities of New York State
has aroused the interest of the Ithaca,
n. Y, Experiment Station.
Such deaths are usually attributed
to hog cholera and in some instances
this has been found true, but in many
instances nc trace of hog cholera germ
or symptoms are found, and neither
adjoining pens of hogs nor those to
whom the flesh of the dead hogs are
fed contract the disease.
Investig atoms having led to the sus-
picion that these deaths are due to the
large quantities of powdered soap used
in the dish water of hotels and board
ing houses an actual test was made.
Nine pigs were put in n pen and
three of the same litter were put in an
ad joining pen and all were fed alike
except that powdered soap was added
to the feed OF the lot Of nine. No slop
was fed to either.
These soap powders are composed Of
powdered hard soap mixed with caus-
tic soda, sometimes called wash soda
or salsoda. Inquiry revealed the fact
that most kitchen servants 8 two to
six times as much of these powders az
the directions on the packages recon
mend.
The experiment demonstrated that
the soap powders made the hogs sick
and some of them died, while those IN
the other pen remained well.
From the whole experiment and in,
vestigation the following conclusions
were drawn:
l The greatest amount OF loss Is.
tanned from swine diseases in this State
is among hogs fed upon the swill Col
lected from hotels, boarding houses,
and other large institutions.
2 The cause of death in certain out
breaks of disease among swill- fed hogs
is the direct poisoning of the animals
by the excess of free alkali (Rashing
sod8) in the swill. These alkalies come
from the powdered soaps used in wash.
ing dishes.
3 1t appears that small quantities of
the powdered soaps do not produce i'm
mediate bad results. 1t is presumable
that they can be- used in quantities
sufficient for the needs of cleanliness
with perfect safety, but owing to the
danger involved in their use it rs safer
not to give the water containing them
to animals.
4. In addition to the unwholesome.
ness Of garbage and kitchen slops for
animal food, and in addition 80 the
losses sustained from the immediate
effect of such kinds of food, hogs fed
upon it are very liable to contract
specific infectious diseases such as hog
cholera, swine plague and tuberculosis.
5 The enormous amount of less
among garbage fed hogs, which in this
State along aggregates thousands of
dollars annually, suggests the desira-
biIity of urging the discontinuing of
the practice of collecting swiIl for such
purposes. Certainly if the refuse ma
terial is to be used for feeding swine it
should be colled and fed while fresh
and sweet. When possible, it should
be kept dry, and = all can free
from alkaline digh water. 1t is advis-
able to cook all kitchen or table refuse
before feeding in order to remove the
danger of infection from specific dis
eases. The only suitable channel for
the disposal of dish water is the sewer.
j. L. LADD.
Bay City, Texas.