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

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-The chief
of the bureau Of animal indus
try, DR.. D. e. Salmon, has submitted
to Secretary Wilson report upon the
experiments made in the treatment of
hogs for hog cholera with anti -toxine
serum. This serum is made upon the
same principle as the anti-toxine OF
diphtheria. Good serum has been OBJ
tained 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 efficacious, was last fall
tested in Page County, Iowa, on sew
eral herds of swine, containing alto
gether 278 animals. Leaving out one
herd, from which definite returns as
to cause of death could not be OBJ
tanned, only 80 died out of 244 ami
mails treated, of which Sc were sick.
Consequently 82.8 per cent. Of the
animals in these herds were saved.
OF untreated herds kept under obser-
vation during the period referred to
about IS per cent. of the animals died.
DR.. Salmon believes that with expert
ence better quality Of serum can be
prepared and he has no doubt that this
percentage can be maintained hereaf-
ter.
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 secre-
tary, is but 10 cents per head of ami
mails treated, only one dozen being re-
quired, and doubtless in course cf
time this light cost may still be fur
ther reduced.
cit is my opinion said the sccre-
tary, "that it is of the utmost inl-
portance that this serum for the next
year at least be made by the bureau,
under our own supervision, and dis
tributed in large quantities in order to
demonstrate its efficiency upon more
extended scale. 1t is absolutely es-
sential chat during the experimental
stage sernm Of undoubted 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 discouragipgly exorbi-
tant prices be charged for it, but in
many cases inferior products may be
offered. This would preclude the
possibility of making a satisfactory
test on widely extended scale.
, s'I propose to ask Congress to pro-
vide an appropriation necessary to en-
able this department to furnish 2 ,0OO,-
900 dozens Of serum during the next
year, and to make considerable por-
tion of the appropriation Immediately
available 1t seems from DR.. Salmon 8
report that it takes three or four
months to put horse or COW in con
dition to supply the serum; conse-
quently the work upon an extended
scale must be undertaken at once.
"The losses from hog cholera are so
enormous and have weighed so heavi-
ly for years upon our farmers that [
cannot imagine that Congress will for
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
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 very large sum of
money. II would be a great mistake,
now that SO great a discovery seems
to have been made, not to finish the
work by giving ita thorough and ex-
tensive test.
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