The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-08-30
The Cholera Season.

1t has been noted by those who have
made the matter a study that hog
cholera so-ca1Ied is annually founa
among the swine of various parts Of
our country from about the first OF
August until frost There are, OF
course, some outbreaks that do not
occur at this time of the year but the
worst losses are doubtless during the
period indicated. This being the case
it behooves every owner of hogs to be
ON the watch and to take such pre-
cautions as are possible to ward on
the arrival of the dread foe upon his
farm. It seems to US that the disease
supply of the farm. Statistics show
that the disease in some parts of the
country bears an exact ratio of sever
ity to the distance from a river flow
ing through that district. Very close
to the river the disease is common and
severe and gradually lessons in prev
alSnce and severity as one recedes
from the river. The contagium is APP
parentIy carried by the river from
outbreaks further up the stream; in
land outbreaks are less common and
less severe as the river district is left
behind. 1t has been observed also that
where the drinking place of hogs is a
small creek stream that they are
more likely to contract the disease
than are hogs which drink from a
well-trOugh and especially If the wa
ter be from a deep well. Taking these
few points into account 1t becomes ap-
parent that one precaution which can
be seen to is that the hogs should be
kept away from the sources of drink
ing water mentioned and more es-
pecially is this the case in fall when
the water tends to become low
and tainted. Nor should hogs be al
lowed to drink of the water of a creek
stream which runs through a num-
Der of farms for there is death in the
cup" as has been shown a thousand
times on investigating outbreaks of
cholera. That disease of swine is
more common and more fatal upon
farms where pigs have been long kept
upon the same ground and where the
hygiene has been poor and the filth of
years has been allowed to accumulate
has been shown over and over again
and it is the duty of every breeder
and feeder of swine to clean up after
the crops are in and commence to use
disinfectants freely all sides about
the places where he keeps his hogs
Further, it is a good plan to give the
herd an entire change of pasture and
even change the feeding pens onto
fresh land when the cholera com
mences to make itself evident in a
given district. We have no hesitation
in saying that were the farmers of the
country to feed less corn and save suf-
ficient money in this way to purchase
reliable disinfectants and then use
them freely about their hog pens there
would be far less loss from cholera
annually than there is at present. 1t
seems absurd to US that farmers
should rest content in buying some al
legged hog cholera cure while they
might do so much to prevent the dis
ease by keeping their hogs away from
the places where the disease is most
liable to appear and by cleaning up
with fire, changing the ground often
and drenching everything with relia-
BILE disinfectants the moment the dis
ease strikes the district When the
disease appears upon farm it is then
necessary to at once separate the af-
fected hogs from those not showing
the disease and change the latter onto
new ground not formerly occupied by
swine and then commence with the
sick and also the we'll to use disinfec-
tants freely not only about the pens
but upon the hogs and in their feed.
1t is not very expensive matter to
provide the necessary disinfectants for
the manufacturers of some of the best
diSinfectantS have now put the price
where the average farmer can afford
to buy and will do SO when he under
stands that it is the best and most
common sense treatment to keep hogs
we'll and as a remedial measure after
they have become sick.