Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-06-30
Green Corn and Cholera.


care be exercised in feeding green
corn lest it cause an outbreak of this
disease. Reports at this date from
all sections of the strictly hog states
show that the disease has broken out
over wide area, that it is more preva-
leat than for a number of years, and
that the visitation threatens a serious
menace TO the hoggroweT this season.
In fully one-third of the counties
from Indiana west to Kansas and Ne
braska the disease has secured foot
hold and as conditions favor a further
spread, hog raisers must exercise the
greatest caution or they will be sub
jected to severe losses.
In spite of liberal expenditure OF
money under governmental and state
efforts and years of patient scientific
study, there is unfortunately no known
adequate remedy for the disease. This
fact should be borne in mind for two
break is always followed by the wioe
advertisement of cholera cures, for
which money spent is absolutely
thrown away; and second, with cholera
present, caution in the care of hogs
should be doubled. Little can be done
for hogs that are actually stricken,
but much may be done to keep the dis
ease out of the herd.
We have recently upon two occasions
published the formula recommended by
the United States department of agri-
culture as tonic to keep hogs in re-
sistent condition. There are other
precautions which the careful hog
raisers will enforce when the disease
is present in the neighborhood
Preventive measures should be ap-
piled before infectious diseases have
actually appeared in the herd. After
that occurs the problem is much more
difficult When the disease is known
or suspected the problem arises, how
can it be kept from spreading to sur
rounding farms The usual channels
of infection are we'll understood, and
with this knowledge certain definite
rules of safety may be laid down.
Pigs from infected herds, or which
have been in contact with those from
infected farms, or which have even run
over ground occupied by diseased hogs
within three months should never be
purchased. This is the most important
rule, as the disease is oftener spread in
this manner than any other. 1t would
from farm where there has been a
death within a year. The disease
sometimes fingers in chronic form,
with no external symptoms, but when
healthy animals are brought into con-
tact with such case, it is axe feed
ing fresh fuel to dying fire. The
transfer of hogs from one farm to an
other is never safe, and the careful
farmer will not practice it no matter
what bargains may be offered in the
way of cheap pigs. Whole herds have
been swept away through the purchase
of supposedly healthy hogs.
Rivers or streams are potent agen-
cies for the spread of the disease to
herds below the source of infection.
The water becomes infected when sick
animals are permitted to go into it, or
when dead animals are thrown into the
stream. Even the drainage from in
fected fields may carry the germs.
Some experiments have shown that
germs may live in water for four
months, or at least long enough to in
feet every herd having access to the
stream lower down. If the farm is
free of the disease keep the herd
away from running streams, relying
upon wells or ponds for water
The virus may be carried in feed,
implements, and on the feet or cloth
! ing of persons from infected herds or
premises. Experiments show that the
germs retain their vitality from two to
four months, and hence a person
walking through lot where the dis
ease has been present, may easily car
ry the infection to well herd. Keep
neighbors and neighbors' dogs, as well
as your own, away from your hog lot.
| By paying careful attention to these
points there is no question that much
may be accomplished to ward off the
disease even when it is in the neigh
borhood. There can be little question
that the present outbreak is largely
due to the improper feeding of new
corn. Old corn is dear, and the temp
tatiol to feed new corn before it was
! fully matured was too strong. Any
error in feeding, producing disorders of
digestion through which the secretion
of gastric juices is diminished or check
ed, vii increase the susceptibility of
the animal. With this fact in mind,
danger of sudden CHANGE to such
stimulating, heating diet as corn, and
especially new corn, liable because of
fermentation in the stomach, must be
obvious.