East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-08-19

Ae recent news telegram IRON
Washington says
Attendance upon a pig tail cutting
carnival will be one of Secretary Will
sons summer vacation amusements,
He left the city two days ago and af>
ter rest at his home at Traer he
will go to Ames, Iowa. That's where
the pig tail cutting takes place at the
agricultural college, the faculty OF
which had Mr.. Wilson as a member
when President Mckinley called him
away to become secretary Of agricul-
ture.
"The pigs that lose their tails at
Ames will be heroes, for through their
sacrifice the salvation of other dwell
ers In pigdom will be assured. Incl
dentally the cost of producing the
pork that will enter into next years
supply of meat and meat food pro-
ducts will be reduced about $15,O0O,-
900. Were there no meat trusts to
keep up prices the possible benefit
would be distributed among all the
people of the United States.
From the bleeding tails of the
pigs collected at Ames will be produc-
ed the serum needed 20 lmmunize
other pigs from attacks OF hog chol-
era. There is no way to fight that
disease except by taking blood from
an animal that has withstood an at
tack of CHOLERA. There is no way OF
getting that blood so easily as from
the tail. In fact, that is the only way
It can be done except by taking the
life Of the porker in the veins Of
which runs the immune blood.
Until short time ago the loss
caused by hog cholera was computed
as part of the cost Of producing pork.
DR.. NJ. Dorset, one of the scientists
of the bureau OF animal industry, has
and deserves the credit for discover
ing the virus by means of which the
ravages of hog cholera may be great
~ reduced. The method of obtaining
II is the result OF seven years work.
Before its discovery the animal loss
by reason OF the disease amounted
to at least s15,00O,O00
Patent on Tail Cutting.
When the discovery was made, Sec
retary Wilson, pursuing the policy
laid down by him several years ago,
had a patent issued to Dr. Dorset in
his name, but with a right to free
use by the people OF the United States
The people OF other countries, desir-
ing to make or sell the hog cholera
virus according to the Dorset method,
must pay the young scientist any roy
atty he may demand. II Is so easy
TO steal his method that, though mil
lions may he saved by reason OF its
invention, he is not getting into the
sinfuly rich class with any degree of
celerity.
The bug that causes hog cholera is
so minute that It has never been
caught, either under a microscope or
a microscopic filter ,There is a par
asite that bears the name bacillus
.cholerae suls, but 1t is not the hog
cholera bacilluc, as supposed at the
time it was discovered, roped and
tied. Dorset found that swine con-
tracted cholera without the presence
OF that parasite. He found also that
Il could be injected into a perfectly
healthy animal and not cause the dis
ease 10 appear But he could not
catch the one that did cause the dam
age.
Notwithstanding his failure as a
hunter. he found that by injecting the
serum made from the blood Of hog
that had survived an attack of the
disease an animal was rendered inn
mune. He also found that by inject
Ing the blood OF an infected pig on
one side and the serum on the other
the period of immunity was greatly
heightened.