The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
TO CURE HOG CHOLERA
DIR. ID. e. SALMON HAS A SERUM
THAT SAVES S2.S OF EACH HERD.
Secretary Wilson Expects TO Furnish
the Anti-TOxine to Farmers and
Give 1t u Thorough Test.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16-The chief of the
Bureau of Animal Industry, DR.. d. E. Sal
mon, has submitted to Secretary Wilson a
report on the experiments made in the tr at
ment of hogs for hog cholera with anii-tox-
inc serum. This serum is made on the same
principle as the anti-roxine of dipntheria.
Good serum has been obtained from both
horses and cattle, 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 on small animals in
the laboratory and being found efficacious,
was last fall tested in Page county, Iowa,
on several herds of swine, containing alto
gether 27S animals. Leaving out one herd,
from which definite returns as to cause of
death could not be obtained, only thirty nine
died out of 244 animals treated, of which
eighty-six were sick. Consequently S2.8 per
cent. of the animals in these herds were
saved. OF untreated herds kept under OBJ
servation during the period referred to,
about So per cent of the animals died. DR..
Salmon believes that with experience bet
ter quality of serum can be prepared, and
he has no doubt that this percentage can be
maintained hereafter.
Referring to this report, Secretary Wilson
remarked that undoubtedly the results re-
ported by DIR. Salmon were most encour-
aging to hog raiserS. The cost of the serum
now, said the secretary, is but ten cents a
head of animals treated, only one dose
beng required, and doubtless in course of
time this light cost may be still further
reduced.
secretary, ''of the utmost Importance that
this serum for the next year, at least, be
made by the bureau under our own super
vision, and distributed in large quantities in
order to demonstrate it's efficacy on more
extended scale 1t is absolutely essential
that during the experimental stage serum OF
undoubted quality be used. Unless rhe hog
growers can obtain it from this department
they will be forced to depend on what can
be obtained from private sources, and owing
to the novelty of this product, not only Will
discouragingiy eXorbitant 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
a widely extended scale. / propose to ask
Congress to provide an appropriation neces-
sary to enable this department to furnish
two million doses of serum during the next
year and to make considerable portion of
the appropriation Immediately available. IL Il
seems from DR.. Salmons report that 1T
takes three or four months to put horse or
cow in condition to supply the serum, con-
sequently the work on an EXTENDED scale
must be undertaken at once.
THE losses from hog cholera are so enor-
nous and have weighed so heavily for years
on our farmers that / cannot imagine that
Congress will for a moment hesitate to
make the appropriations necessary to carry
on this work thoroughly. Indeed, apart
from the stake farmers have in this matter
to refuse to provide for a thorough test of
this remedy now would be, indeed, penny
wise 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 a great mistake, now that so great
o. discovery seems to have been made, rot
TO finish the work by giving it thorough
and extensive test"