The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-08-15

great many OF the farmers are treat.
ing their hogs with cholera serum.
and this is the only way OF checking
the epidemic. This method is rather
expensive, costing from fifty cents TO
a dollar and q quarter for each hog
depending on the size of the animal,
but il is the best insurance the hog
owner can get. The veterinary de-
partment of the college, which manu-
features this serum, has been sold out
during the last week and it was neces-
Sary TO SEND to Minnesota for a large
supply. The last legislature failed 10
make the necessary appropriation to
carry on this work and from now on
the supply will have to be obtained
outside OF the state.
DR.. A. H Hill has been kept pretty
busy the past week administering the
serum and altogether has used over
five hundred dollars worth.
The disease is also prevalent in the
southern part OF the state and last
Friday T. b. Kelley, assistant to Dr..
Moore, Went TO Platte with a supply of
serum TO treat the herds of that
county.
DR.. f. l.. Moore, head of the veterin-
airy department at the college, des-
cribes the symptoms as follows:
The symptoms of hog sholera vary
widely. The disease may take the
acute or chronic form. Usually the
first outbreaks are marked by a high
virulence and death rate, the hogs
dying off very rapidly. AS a rule this
period is followed by a decline in the
strength of the virus and the animals
linger several days or weeks before
succumbing to the effects of the dis
ease. The period Of incubation of
cholera, that is, the time which elapses
between actual infection until notica-
bic symptoms appear, is from three
or four to eight or ten days. In the
acute form, the hog is usually very
sick in eight days after Infection and
dies within four or five days there
after. However, it is not uncommon
for the animals to die very suddenly
without manifesting any indications
of being sick, The first symptoms are
generally a loss of appetite, quite a
pronounced fever, the hog appearing
very dumpish. Most of the time the
animal lies huddled up in the corner
and only moves about when thirsty or
when driven IL of his resting place.
He stands with his back arched, he
may become lame in the hind legs,
his snout gets very dry and the eye
lids are often glued together with a
sticky muco-purulent discharge. If
the outbreak is marked by a high vir-
ulence, the ears, snout, belly and but
tocks begin to flush and the animal
dies within a few hours. These flush
ed areas may become so congested
that they have a purplish appearance,
from which undoubtedly came the
common lame puppies" used in
some localities. for this disease.
Diarrhoea may occur after the hogs
have become thoroughly sick and may
persist until the end. A bloody diarr-
hoea not i~nfrequently C In some
cases. however. there may be constipa-
ton, the being firm, and cover
ed with mucous. Practically the only
difference between the acute and
chronic form Of cholera is the dura.
ton Of the disease and the lack of
feverishness and flushing in the
chronic type. With the chronic form,
the hog becomes unthrifty and fingers
perhaps for three or four weeks before
dying. The coat becomes rough and
the animal eats perhaps a little every
day but as times goes on he gradually
becomes thinner and weaker and fin
ally dies of exhaustion"