Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-10
Animal Diseases
Reduced by Science

The experiments carried on by the investi-
gators OF animal diseases at the United
States experiment station at Lincoln have
demonstrated the value OF the serum treat
ment as an eradcator of the disastrous and
much dreaded hog cholera germ. DR.. A. T.
Peters, who has personally directed all OF
these experiments, inaugurated the treat
ment and was the first to make public the
results OF his experiments, which, so far,
have been very encouraging. The attaches
OF the experiment station devote much OF
their time to the investigation OF animal
diseases and the farmers of the state have
derived great benefit from their findings
The United States experiment station for
tho district Of Nebraska was established by
an act OF congress approved March z, 1887
The appropriation from the treasury of the
general government creates what Is known
as the Hatch fund, sum of $4,000 given
to each station. The experiment stations
are established in connection with colleges
of agriculture and the mechanic arts founded
under the act of congress OF 1852 BY the
terms Of this act the appropriation must be
expended for certain definite Objects or, in
other words, Ito conduct original researches
or verify experiments bearing directly upon
the agricultural industry of the United
States" One clause of this act specially au>
thorizes researches and experiments on the
physiology OF animals and the diseases to
which they are subject and the remedies for
the same. Under this clause the governing
board OF the experiment station, comprised
of the regents of the university, sets aside
annually from the Hatch fund the sum OF
SO, 900, OF which $4,000 Is for the salary Of
the Investigator OF animal diseases and
$1,000 for janitor service, supplies and other
expenses of maintaining the experimental
laboratory and the library herewith
The station is not n part of the State uni
versity as an educational institution. The
investigator of animal diseases is not paid
by the state, nor Is he member OF the
faculty OF the State university. He is not
the state veterinarian and cannot lawfully
perform duties as such He must give his
entire time to the work of the station, but
1t is often important that he examine out
breaks Of diseases in the field in which
they occur.
MicrOscOpicaI investigation.
For the last several years the experiment
station has been collecting pathological
specimens for a museum. the Idea being to
accumulate material which shall illustrate
microscopically the post-mortem LESSONS OF
the diseases of domestic animals. In
furtherance of this end microscopical slides
are kept of all the different cases which
come under the notice Of the investigator.
This collection includes pathological,
meteorological, biological and astrological
slides. Wherever possible photographs are
taken for the same purpose and in about 200
cases lantern slides have been prepared from
them. In lectures before students. at
farmers Institutes and conventions and also
In talks to visitors at the laboratory the de-
partment can readily furnish illustrations in
order to make clearer explanations.
The buildings Of the experiment station
are fully equipped with apparatus for con-
ducting mcroscopical examinations of all
kinds and experiments upon diseases of
domestic animals, more especially the con-
tagious diseases. In brief the apparatus
includes an Autocav steam steriizer. be-
sides ten other hot air and steam sterilizers
of various patterns, incubators for growing
disease germs, instruments for performing
the various surgical operations, several
microscopes and accessories, filterlng
machinery and the utensils necessary for
the manufacture of vaccnes and serums,
which are now playing such an important
part in modern medicine.
Special attention is given to hog cholera
and much work Is done along the line Of
backleg, anthrax, tuberculosis actinomy-
COSTS, cornstalk diseases, calf cholera, rabies,
Texas fever, parasitical diseases and diseases
OF chickens. Experiments are carried on In