Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-07-12
To Prevent Hog Cholera.
TDrovers' Journal

are heard so far this season, but the
season is not over and 1T Is well for
farmers to take every precaution to
prevent It's ravages. In the first place,
the cause of the disease should be UNI
derstood. Hog cholera is caused by
germs which get into the blood and
grow in punches, and in being carrier
thru the circulation they stop up the
blood vessels. They also cause intlam-
nation In the lining of the hogs stom-
ach and intestines The germs must
be taken into the stomach and intes-
tines with the food or water before
the hogs will get the cholera. Just
breathing them will not cause the dis
ease.
Knowing what causes the disease,
the farmer can take precaution to pre-
vent these germs getting into the food
or water of his hogs Probably of all
the ways that the germs are carried
from one place to another the most
common is in the drinking water. This
water becomes contaminated by sick
animals drinking from 1t. If it is
stream. and the germs are carried on
down the stream to another farm,
where we'll hogs will drink from it,
and the cholera will break out there
and the owner will not be able to un-
derstand how his hogs could get the
cholera. Not only is the water con-
taminated by sick hogs drinking from
1t, but often the drainage from the
swine pens goes into 1t or dead hogs
get into the stream. Every stagnant
wallow furnishes good place for the
breeding of cholera germs and should
be watched.
Dogs, vultures chickens and often
persons will spread the disease. ANY,
thing that will serve to carry the germs
from one place to another will assist
in it's spread Every precaution should
be taken against infection. When
hog dies it should be burned and not
buried, as Is often the case, for then
dogs are liable to dig the carcass out,
and if not covered very deeply the 9TH
er hogs are likely ito root it out and
eat 1t.
Every farmer who has ever had
cholera in his herd will easily recog-
nize the first symptoms. The acute
form usually kills in a few hours,
while chronic CT SEES linger on for sew
eral weeks or {. month. Probably the
first symptom is droopy appearance
of the hog, the eyes are more or less
closed and dimmed and the ears droop
more than usual. The hog will still
eat with an abnormal appetite and eat
almost everything and act queerly.
During the first stages the hog is lame
first in one leg, then in another, and
keeps his back arched up all the time.
One Of the first symptoms is diarrhea
the discharge being thinner than usual,
and it takes on a black, tarry color,
and has a very offensive odor. Later
on the hog becomes constipated and
vomits frequently. He loses flesh rap
idly, has high fever and rapid breath
ing Red splotches appear on the skin
and in chronic cases there is swelling
of the ears ana cracking of the tail.
There may be q severe cough, but this
symptom is usually present in cases of
swine plague when the lungs are at
fected. The two diseases are often
present in the same animal.
The hogs should be kept In healthy
condition by keeping their bowels
open and strengthening their systems
so that they can ward off the disease.
The department. OF agriculture recon-
mends the following formula after
making many trials with it:
Wood or cob charcoal .......... 10
Sulphur IDS
Sodium chloride Common salt) lbs
Standardization (baking soda) lbs
Sodium hyposulphite ........... IDS
Glauber salts ................... 10
(Or Epson salts, lbs.)
Anthony sulphide ..,.......... 10
Pulverize each of the ingredients well
and mix them together thoroughly.
The dose is tablespoonful for each
200 lbs weight of the hogs, given twice
a day in shorts or bran slop feed.
Another remedy somewhat less COM
plicated, which has been used with
good success by the Indiana experiment
station Isl
Chlorate of potash .............. Id
Bicarbonate of soda ............ ! 10
Nitrate of potash ............... IDS
The dose is the same as the govern
ment formula, tablespoonful twice
daily in slop feed, with the addition of
five grains of calomel to each dose #
constipation is present.
The government formula can be mix
ed by every farmer at home, as most
of the ingredients are usually on hand
in the house, or can be easily bought at
any drug store. The mixture will not
cost over 10 cents a pound.
Pays to D, born Cattle.
1t is a generally accepted fact among