The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-11-18
farm animal DISEASES
Prevention Is Far Better Than
The Trouble of Cure.
DISEASES OF THE SWINE
AealthfuI Food, Drink, Shelter and
surrounGings-Keep Animals Vls-
orous and Thrifty-Look Out Care
fully for Disestion-6enefits OF
Cleanliness.

Cleanliness.
We should endeavor to prevent tho
appearance Of disease, rather than to
cure It after it has come. Sanitation,
not medication, is what will reduce
dieease among farm animals to- the
minimum. Disease is by far the more
common among swine than among
other farm animals In this country.
Annually above ten per cent OF our
swine die Of disease. Yet there are
men who have raised swine extensively
for fifteen to twenty years with as little
disease among them as among the
best-kept horses or cattle. These men
have reared pure bred swine, and some
of them are in the region where corn
is largely fed. 1t cannot, therefore, be
said that so much disease among swine
Is due to in-breeding, or wholly to
the large feeding Of corn. There ia
no reason why swine should be more
subject to disease than other farm ami
mails. The fact that they are, is be-
cause they are treated differently.
Their quarters are allowed to become
more filthy; they are given drink that
other ANNA would not De expected
to use; their iced is thrown in the,
mud and their own manure; and their
shelters are Of the poorest description
and devoid Of all means Of ventilation.
The men who have raised swine with
little disease, have given their swine
pure drink, variety Of clean, whole
some food, comfortable well-Ventilated
shelters and clean, dry quarters.
It must not, however, be inferred
that there is among other farm animals
no more disease than there should be.
Il more care were taken to provide
sheep, cattle and horses with only
healthful food, drink, shelter and sur
roundigs, it is safe to say that there
would be much less disease among
them. The investigations of European
veterinaries, and Of Drs. Law, Grant
and others in this country, have shown
that bovine tuberculosis Is most prev.
alent among COWS kept In damp, foul,
Iunventilated stables, or upon wet land
where the air and food are contanai.
pated. In other words, sanitation and
hygiene are opposed to bovine tuber.
culosis Nor is this disease an e1eep-
tion Sanitary measures are the best
preventive Of every disease affecting
Dur farm animals s.:
The preponderance Of evidence is
that swin-plague, bovine tuberculosis,
toot-rot, glanders, ETC., are produced:
by microbe.. However, 1t has been
established without doubt that those
conditions which are unwholesome to.
higher animal life: are most favorable
to the microbes which are supposed to
produce these diseases. Thus. these
microbes flourish in water contami.
mated with decaying organic matter,
or in damp, decomposing litter; and
while they are not introduced into the
system through pure drink or food,
they are introduced through foul,
dirty drink and food oftener than by
any other medium.
The measures recommended for the
prevention Of disease would also be de.
sirable were no disease to be feared.
IIt Is firmly established that animals
in low bodily condition are more sub
ject to disease than vigorous, thrifty
animals. That which makes the farm
animal thrifty and vigorous, and there
tore les liable to disease, also makes It
profitable The more wholesome the
food, drink and surroundings Of the
animal, the stronger its appetite and
the more thorough It's digestion. It
eats well, the excess above the food
Of support is at the maximum and as
this measures the gain the profit is
large. AS digestion Is vigorous the
amount Of food which escapes assimt-
lation is reduced to the minimum.
Where poor condition" is not allowed
to exist disease is scarcely known,
and at the same time the animal makes
the largest return for the food con-
Isumed. While we have need for a
hundred veterinaries to each one We
now have, their work, as that of the
physician Of the human body, win be
largely in teaching sanitation.