The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-23
Sure Cure Found for Hog Cholera.

WAsHINGrON, Jan. I6.-Thc chief
Of the bureau of animal indus
try, DR.. ID. T.. Salmon, has submitted
to Secretary Wilson = report upon the
experiments made in the treatment of
hogs for hog cholera with anti toxinc
serum. This serum is made upon the
same principle as the anti-toxine Of
diphthcria. Good serum has been OBJ
tanned from both horses and cattle, a
horse or cow being treated with the
hog cholera virus in small quantities
at first, with large doses after suitable
intervals Of time. The resistance Of
the animal is thus raised to the high
est practicable point. The blood Of
such an animal when injected under
the skin OF swine has been found to
possess both a preventative and a
cure for cholera.
This serum was first tested upon
small animals in the laboratory and
being found ciiicacious, was last fall
tested in Page County. Iowa, on sew
cral herds Of swine. containing alto
gctlIcr 21S animals. Leaving out one
herd. from which definite returns AS
~ IA vi 'ClIu CDuIu MOI DC CD
taincd, only ,? died OUT Of PA AMI
NAL, treated, OF which Sc were sick.
Consequently 32.S per cent. Of the
animals in these herds were saved
81 iinticaicd herds kept under obscr-
yatlon during the period referred TO
about - per cent. Of the animals died.
DR.. Salmon believes that with expert
cncc a better quality Of serum can be
prepared and he has no doubt that this
percentage can be maintained hercaf-
ter.
referring to this report Secretary
Wilson remarked that undoubtedly the
results reported by DR.. Salmon were
most encouraging to hog raiscrs. The
cost OF the serum now, said the secrc-
tary, is but 10 cents per head Of ami
mails treated, only one dozen being re-
uuircd, and doubtless in course Of
time this light cost may still be fur
Their reduced.
1T is my opinion said the sccrc-
tary, that it is Of the tnos i'm
portancc that this serum for the next
year AT Least be made by the bureau,
under u own supervision, and dis
tributcd in large quantities IN order to
demonstrate its efficiency upon IL more
extended scale. 1t is absolutely es-
s@cntial chat during the experimental
stage scrnm Of undOubtcd quality be
used. Unless the hog growers can OBJ
tain 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 product,
not only will discouragiugly exorbi-
tant prices be charged for it, but in
many cases inferior products may be
offered. This would preclude the
possibility Of making Il satisfactory
test on a widely extended scale.
II propose to ask Congress to pro-
vide an appropriation necessary TO en-
able this department to furnish 2 ,000,-
600 dozens of serum during the next
! year, and to make n considerable pcr-
ton Of the appropriation Immediately
available. 1t seems from DR.. Salmon's
report that it takes three or four
months to put a horse or COW in con
dition to supply the serum; conse-
%qucntly the work upon an extended
scale must be undertaken at once.
The losses from hog cholera arc 80
enormous and have weighed 30 hcavi-
IL for years upon our farmers that [
cannot imagine that Congress will for
a moment refuse to make the appro-
priations necessary to carry on this
work thoroughly. Indeed, apart from
the great stake the farmers have in
this matter, TO refuse to provide for g.
thorough test Of this remedy now
would be, indeed, pennywise and
pound foolish; for the discovery OF
this serum has involved already many
years of work and a very large sum Of
money. 1t would be Il great mistake,
now that 40 great y discovery seems
to have been made. not to finish the
work by giving tia thorough and cx-
teDSive test.