Morris tribune., 1911-03-31
HOG CHOLERA---NO. 4.
BY Dr.. M. n. Reynolds, Mime
sofa University Farm.

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Every farmer who owns a herd of
healthy hogs, in neighborhood where
hog-cholera prevails, should observe
certain precautions which will greatly
lessen his risk. There are certain
things which such a farmer can wise
ly do with such hogs, and certain
other things which he should never
do; and the same thing is true of the
man who owns diseased hogs. There
are certain things which the owner of
sick hogs has no moral right to do,
simply because in doing them he un-
fairly and unnecessarily exposes his
neighbors to heavy losses.
The healthy herd in an infected
neighborhood should be taken care of
by one person exclusively. This per-
son should be very careful not to go
into public stock-yards or stock-cars,
or visit any yard or pen where sick
hogs are confined; no matter what he
may think about the disease not being
hog-cholera. The owner of healthy
hogs may think that hog-cholera is
not infectious, but he will do wisely
to keep away from sick hogs, never
theless.
Visitors from farms where diseasa
prevails among hogs should be kept
safe distance from healthy hogs; and
this same thought applies with spe
cial significance to stock-buyers
threshing- g-machine crews, and any per
sons who are moving about much i'll
the neighborhood.
The owners family should take
especial pains to keep away from
places where infection may exist; for
the virus of hog-cholera is easily car
rjed from one place to another on
shoes or clothing. The man who
wants to protect a healthy herd can
rot safely do otherwise than to con-
slider that all stock-yards and stock
cars are infected with cholera.
Hog-cholera virus is usually taken
into the system of healthy hogs
through the mouth and digestive or
gans.
In view of this, it is evident that
care should be taken to see that food
and drink are not contaminated with
hog-cholera infection. During an out
break in the neighborhood, troughs
and feeding-foors should be cleaned
and disinfected frequently, and hogs
should not be given ear corn or any
other feed on the ground.
In case an owner is so unfortunate
as to find the disease among his hogs,
in spite of intelligent precautions
which will occasionally occur-he
should telephone or telegraph at once
to the Veterinary Division, Expert
ment Station, st. Anthony Park, st.
Paul, for information concerning hog
cholera vaccine, which is being pro-
duced at this institution.
Something may be gained. at the
very beginning of an outbreak, by
moving apparently we'll hogs to unin
fected pastures or distant yards. In
case the disease appears again in this
bunch, then move the apparently we'll
hogs again, always leaving the sick
ones where the disease appeared. Hogs
with temperatures much above 103 F.
should be left with the sick ones, no
difference how bright they may SEEM
Ponds and sluggish streams, to
which sick hogs have access, should
be carefully avoided. so far as healthy
hogs are concerned; for such waters
frequently serve as the worst of agents
for spreading infection.
Treatment.
Farmers are advised not to spend
money for any form of internal treat
ment, or for any form of machine or
serum that does not come from a very
responsible source. 1t is the confident
belief of all experienced veterinarians
that drugs and medicines are practical
ly worthless in the treatment of hog
cholera and that money so spent is
simply wasted.
Distinction.
The owner, should, first of all, con.
slider the question as to what yards
and pens or other structures are con-
taminateG. This includes especially
troughs and feeding floors After thor
oughly cleaning troughs, floors, parti-
tions, etc, all such structures may be
thoroughly disinfected by free use of
corrosive sublimate dissolved in wa
ter, in the proportion of one part Of
corrosive sublimate to one thousand
parts of water by weight, or one dram
of powdered corrosive sublimate to
the gallon of water. This is very
cheap disinfectant. and should be used
freely. In case a considerable quanti-
ty should remain in troughs or other
places, where hogs might possibly
get much corrosive subImate with
food or drink, it is we'll to flush out
such troughs or other places with
clean water after two or three hours.