Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-01-19
HAVE DISCOVERED
A NEW M|CR0BE
RevoIutionizes All Theories
Regarding Hog
Cholera.
IOWA INVESTIGATION CLOSED
Has Been in Progress in Page and
Fremont Counties - After Seven
Years Experts Find They Have
Been Laboring On Wrong Track

Shenandoah, Jan. 16.-The hog chal-
era Investigations which have been
going on in Page and Fremont coun-
ties for the past seven years, under
the direction of Secretary Wilson OF
the agricultural department, have
about come to an end. Only two OF
the expert veterinarians sent here by
the government now remain and they
will go in the spring. One Of them
DR.. c. M. Day of this city, gives 1t
out that a recent discovery by the
biochemic division Of the agricultural
department, completely upset the the
ory on which the whole seven years
work here has been conducted. The
doctors with their microscopes
brought forth a microbe that they de-
clared was the cause of the disease.
Sent to other states. to Sweden,
Italy, and even Japan, these microbes
would produce hog cholera just al It
existed in Page county. The whole
scientific world accepted this theory.
The aim then was to destroy this
microbe. Their efforts to this end
were only partially successful. The
measure Of their success was only a
little more than 81 per cent. The four
inspectors sent here were given ample
power and all the money they might
need to stamp out the disease. They
slew thousand Of infected hogs, pay
ing the owners the market price for
them. They studied the disease elm
ically and biologically, noted all the
facts attending the infection, and max
ing anatomical and microscopic in
vestigations. They prepared speci-
mems OF flesh and fluid and sent the
same to Washington. 1t was from
these specimens sent from the field,
as this county Is called at the depart
ment, that the discovery referred to
was made. This discovery Ia to the
effect that the aforesaid microbe Is
not the cause OF hog cholera at all
The real caus1 is q finer, more elusive
bacteria which Is invisible and whose
form and characteristics are yet to
be determined. The biochemists have
demonstrated conclusively that the
primary cause Of the disease is Meth.
or the hog cholera bacillus nor the
swine plague bacillus. They repeated
iy transmitted the disease to pigs by
simultaneous incubation of the body
fluids sent from here, after such fluids
had been proven to be absolutely free
from the hog cholera and swine
plague bacilli. They proved this by
careful archaeological examinations,
by filtration through the finest porce-
lain filters, and by the incubation Of
guinea pigs and rabbits. This flltrate,
thus freed from the cholera bacilli,
would give the hog cholera to a
healthy hog in seven days. This
shows that the real cause OF the dis
ease Is something else.
Secretary Wilson determined on g
war against hog cholera, and got an
appropriation from congress for the
purpose, and naturally wanted the ex-
periments made in his own state, and
Page county was selected as the scene
OF operations. Fremont county was
afterward included, and this Is the on
ly spot in the United States where
such Investigations have been carried
on. The recent discovery has caused
a halt and the inspectors, as the doc
tors are called, are resting on their
oars for further developments. 1t is
very likely that the whole theory and
treatment for hog cholera will be rev.
olutionized. The disease almost to-
tally disappeared from this county
but the experts claim no credit for It,,
although they certainly did much to-
ward that end.