Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-01-20
HOG CHOLERA CURE.

Successful Experiments Made with ANTI
Toxine Serum Secured from Horses anu
CattIe-How the Serum is Procured and
tho Results Obtained-PrOpOsed Tests TO
be Made on Widely Extended Scale
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE CHIEF OF
the bureau of animal industry, DIR. u.
E. Salmon, has submitted to Secretary
Wilson a report upon the experiments
made in the treatment of hogs Tor hog
cholera with anti-toXine serum. Inns
serum is made upon the same primer
pal as the anti-toxine OF diphtherla'
Good serum has been obtained from
both horses and cattle, horse or co"
| being inoculated with the hog cholera
virus in small quantities at first, ana
with larger doses after suitable lnCer-
walls of time. The resistance OF the
animal is thus raised to the hlgheSI-
practicable point. The blood OF such
an animal when injected under the
| skin of swine has been found TO possess
both O preventive and curative action.
This serum was first tested upon small
animals in the laboratory, and oelhg
found efficacious was last fall tested
| in Page county, Ia, on several herus
of swine, containing altogether 2'o
animals. Leaving out one herd, from
which definite returns as to the
cause of death could not be
obtained, only 80 died OF ga
animals treated, of which SO were
sick. Consequently S2.s per cent Oh
| the animals in these herds were saved
OF untreated herds kept under observa-
| ton during the period referred TO
about SIS per cent. of the animals dled-
| DIR. Salmon believes that with expert
ence a better quality of serum can be
| prepared and he has no doubt that TINS
| per centage can be maintained mere
| after.
| Referring to this report Secretary
| Wilson remarked that undou oteuIy
the results reported by DIR. Salmon
were most encouraging to hog raisers'
| The cost of the serum now, said the
secret ary, is but ten cents per head or
! animals treated, only one dose being.
required,
at is, III my opinion" said the secre-
| tary, ''of the utmost Importance that
this serum for the next year at least be
made by the bureau under our own SUI
pervision, and distributed in large
quantit in order to demonstrate It's
| efficacy upon a more extended scale"
1t is absolutely essential that during
the experimental stage serum of I'M
doubted quality be used. Unless the
hog growers can obtain it from this de-
partment, they will be forced to-
depend upon what can be OBJ
tanned from private sources, and
owing to the novelty of this prod"
uct not only will discouragingly
exorbitant prices be charged for it,,
but in many cases inferior products
may be offered. This would preclude
the possibility of making satisfac-
tory test on widely extended scale.
l propose to ask congress to provide an
| appropriation necessary to enable this
| department to furnish 1000, 600 doses
| of serum during the next year, and to
make considerable portion of the ap-
preparation Immediately available. 1t.
seems, from DR.. Salmon's report, that.
it 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
| The losses from hog cholera are so
| enormous and have weighed so heavily
| for years upon our farmers that l can.
not imagine that congress will for a.
moment hesitate to make the appro-.
| priation necessary to carry on this.
work thoroughly. Indeed, apart from
the great stake the farmers have in,
this matter, to refuse to provide for a
thorough test of this remedy now
would be penny wise and pound foolishs
for the discovery of this serum has al
ready involved many years of work
and very large sum of money. 1t
would be great mistake, now that
SO great discovery seems to have been
made not to finish the work by giving
it a thorough and extensive test"