Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1909-04-01
FARMING in
THE SOUTH
Hog Cholera.


The losses from hog cholera in the
various states annually amount tC
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 ndustry-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
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 a 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 of
thoroughly disinfecting the hog
houses, yards, troughs and fences is
not an easy one, but the free use of
a spray gun with five per cent car
bolic acid will be effective. Bichlo-
ride of mercury, one dram to each
gallon of water, or creolin, one per
cent, will do much good in the way
of distinction.
Medicines which are given by the
mouth or in the feed or slop, are of
little or no value. Many so-called
hog cholera cures" are put on the
market, but they are fakes, pure and
simple. 1t is an easy matter to get
testimonials. Passifcation of the
mind may do as a "placebo" for the
human mind but if your hogs get
cholera they will need something
other than medicine by the mouth.
There is one method of producing
immunity against hog cholera, and
that is by the serum injection For
many years after the discovery of the
Bacillus Cholera Suis, the manufac-
ture of hog cholera serum was at
tempted by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture through it's Blu
reau of Animal Industry.
This serum is made by hyperimmun-
izing the hog by taking one that has
passed through the disease and inject
ing this pig with a quantity of virus
from a hog sick with cholera, and in
this way producing in this hog a
serum from the blood of this hype-
dimmunized hog will produce a great
er resistance against the disease in
another individual and make it proof
against cholera.
The Bureau of Animal Industry has
been conducting extensive expert
ments along this line in Iowa for sew
eral years and has perfected this
method of treatment They have ask
ed the experiment stations of the va
rious states to cooperate by estab-
fishing the hog cholera experiment de
partmentS upon their farms so as to
manufacture and furnish, at a mini
mum cost, all serum, perhaps, costs a
trifie more than those serums which
can be produced by using the horse,
as the hog does not furnish a great
deal of blood
The Experiment Station of the Col
orado Agriculture College, at Fort
Collins is one of the first state insti.
buttons to cooperate with the United
States government. Already prepare
lions are under way, and before this
article reaches the hog-owning people,
the experiments will have begun, and
serum can soon be furnished.-B F.
Kaupp, Pathologist, Colorado Agricul-
tural College, Fort Collins.
The sheep has the most delicate