Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-17
PREPARES TO FIGHT noG CHOLERA.
Money Will he Asked For with which
IN INV Serum


to Buy Serum.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.--The chief OF the
Bureau OF Animal Industry, Dr. d. e. SAL
mon, has submitted to Secretary Wilson a
report upon the experiments made in the
treatment OF hogs for hog cholera with
anti-toxiue serum. This serum Ia made up
on the same principle as the anti-toxine OF
dlphtheria. 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 intervals of time. The
resistance OF the animal is thus raised to the
highest practicable point The blood OF such
an animal when injected under the skin of
swine. has been found to possess both a
preventive and curative action.
This serum was first tested upon small
animals in the laboratory, and being found
efflcacious, was last fall tested In Page
county. Iowa, on several herds of swine, con-
tanning altogether 27S animals. Leaving out
one herd, from which definite returns as to
cause OF delth could not be obtained, only
thirty-nine died out of 244 animals treated
| of which eighty-six were sick. Consequently
S2.2 per cent Of the animals In these herds
was saved. OF several herds kept under
observation during the period referred TO
about SO per cent died, Salmon believes that
with experience a better quality of serum
can be prepared and he has no doubt that
this percentage can be, maintained here
after.
Referring to this report. Secretary Wilson
remarked that undoubtedly the results re-
ported by DR.. Salmon were most encouraging
to hog raisers Tho cost of the serum now
said the secretary, is but 10 cents per head
of animals treated. only one dozen being re-
qured, and doubtless In course OF time this
light cost may still be further reduced.
at is, in my opinion said the secretary,
"of the utmost Importance 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 efficacy upon more extended
scale 1t is absolutely essential that dur
ing the experimental stages that serum of
undoubted quality be used. Unless the hog
growers 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 product not only
will discouragingly exorbitant prices be
charged for 1t, but In many cases inferior
products may be offered. This would preclude
the possibility of making satisfactory test
on a widely extended scale. Z.
81 propose to ask congress to provide an
appropriation necessary to enable this de-
partment to furnish 100000 doses of serum
during the next year, and to make con-
siderable portion of the appropriation imme-
diatey available. 1t seems from DR.. Salmon S
report that it takes three or four months to
put horse or COW in condition to supply
the serum, consequently the work upon an
extended scale must be undertaken at once.
THE losses from hog cholera are so enor-
NOUS and have weighed so heavily for years
upon our farmers, that l cannot imagine
that congress will for a moment hesitate to
| make the appropriations 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, indeed,
pennywise and pound foolish; for the dis
covery of this serum has involved already
many years of work and very large sum
of money. 1t would be a great mistake, now
that so great a discovery seems to have
been made not to finish the work by giving
1t a thorough and extensive test"