The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-04-24
FARMING in
THE SOUTH
Hog Cholera.


The losses from hog cholera in the
various states annually amount to
many millions of dollars. The spread
of contagious diseases through the
central stock yards and by cars and
boats not disinfected-a condition
which existed prior to the establish
ment of the inspection by the Federal
Bureau of Animal Industry-resulted
in the contagious diseases existing in
this country (among them hog chol-
era) becoming widespread.
BY the establishment of Federal in
spections, in 1891, hogs were no long
er allowed to be shipped back to the
country after being unloaded in the
central markets of Chicago, ST. Louis,
Kansas City, Omaha, ETC., but on the
other hand, were required to be sold
for slaughter. The reason for this
was that the yards were infested with
hog cholera.
All cars containing hogs, as well as
other animals, are inspected as the
trains arrive at these markets, and
those cars which contain cholera
hogs, or any other contagious disease,
are thoroughly cleaned and disinfect-
ed. Thus through the careful, watch
full eye of the government, hog chol-
era has ceased to spread so rapidly.
Other means OF spread that affect
the local places are as follows: A
dog running through hog yard in
which cholera hogs are kept will car
ry the germs on his feet. A neighbor,
just to be neighborly, goes over to
sympathize with his friends, and
tramping around on the infected
ground, carries the germs home on
his boots. and thus his hogs become
infected.
In regard to treatment, the first
measure should be thorough clean
ing up of the house and yards. The
hog troughs should be kept thoroughly
clean and disinfected. The task o.
thoroughly disinfecting the hos
houses, yards, troughs and fences IL
not an easy one, but the free use o
a spray gun with five per cent car
bolic acid will be effective. Bichlo
ride of mercury, one dram to eaci
gallon of water, or creolin, one pc
cent, will do much good in the wa!
of disinfection.
Medicines which are given by tn
mouth or in the feed or slop. are o
little or no value Many so-caHe'
hog cholera cures" are put on tn
market, but they are fakes. pure an
simple. 1t is an easy matter to &c
testimonials. Passifcation of tn
mind may do as a ''placebo' for tn
human mind; but If your hogs ge
cholera they win need somethin
other than medicine by the mouth.
There is one method of producin
immunity against hog cholera, an
that is by the serum injection. Flo
many years after the discovery of tn
Bacillus Cholera Suis, the manufa
ture of hog cholera serum was a
tempted by the United States pepar
ment of Agriculture through its b
reau of Animal Industry.
This serum is made by hyperimmul
izing the hog by taking one that hs
passed through the disease and injec
ing this pig with a quantity of virl
from a hog sick with cholera, and
this way producing in this hog
serum from the blood of this hyp
dimmunized hog will produce gres
err resistance against the disease
another individual and make it pro
against cholera.
The Bureau of Animal Industry h
been conducting extensive expe
ments along this line in Iowa for sc
eral years and has perfected I'll
method of treatment. They have as
ed the experiment stations OF the
rious states to cooperate by ests
fishing the hog cholera experiment
partments upon their farms SO as
manufacture and furnish, at a mi
mum cost, all serum, perhaps, costs
trifie more than those serums viii
can be produced by using the hor
as the hog does not furnish gre
deal of blood.
The Experiment Station Of the
orado Agriculture College. at F.
Collins is one of the first state ins
tutions to cooperate with the Unit
States government. Already prepa
tions are under way, and before I
article reaches the hog-owning peor
the experiments will have begun, a
serum can soon be furnished.-B.
Kaupp, Pathologist, Colorado Agrie
tural College, Fort Collins.