Evening star., 1912-11-16
RIGID MEASURES ORDERED
Appearance of Disease at Falls
Church, Va, Stirs Officials.
MARYLAND ALSO SUSPECTED
Pork Coming From the Two Nearby
States to Undergo Severe
Examination.

Federal meat inspectors in Washington
have beer notified by the Department of
Agriculture to be on the lookout for evil
dences of cholera among the carcasses Of
hogs shipped here from nearby Maryland
and Virginia farms. 1t is known that
hog cholera has made it's appearance
around the village of Falls Church, Va.
and that it or som esimilar disease pre-
walls among hogs in the suburbs on the
Maryland side of the Potomac.
Whether any of the hogs that actually
died of cholera have been butchered and
sent to the Washington market is not
known. 1t is known. however. that the
season for hog killing around Falls
Church was hastily advanced on the ap-
pearance of the disease and there was a
general killing of the live animals that
might be subject to the disease. Whether
these carcasses were actually infected
and whether they were sold locally or
shipped into Washington is not suscepti-
BILE of legal proof Now that orders have
been given the local inspectors to look out
for evidences of the disease, it Is likely
that any infected carcasses offered for
sale will be detected.
Able to Detect Disease.
Under the federal meat inspection stat
ute the regular slaughter houses and
packing establishments that have govern
ment inspection are always able to de-
tect diseased animals as soon as they are
brought in for slaughter. There is a spe-
cial provision in the law. however, that
exempts farm-slaughtered animals from
the restrictions of the Inspection law. II
the farms from which they come are stu
ated near enough to the state line Tor the
carcasses of farm-killed animals to enter
into interstate commerce all the owner
of the animal has to do is to make out
certificate that the animal was healthy
and in good condition at the time it was
butchered.
The penalty for knowingly violating
this law is a fine of not more than $1,000
or Imprisonment for not more than one
year. The officials Of the Department OF
Agriculture say that owing to the word
Ing of the law it is rather hard to obtain
cult to advance legal proof that an anil
NAL was diseased after the carcass is
cleaned and the internal organs de-
stroyed, but It is necessary also to prove
that the offense was committed "know-
ingly."
Absent in Dressed Carcass.
In the case Of hog cholera the symp-
toms that would be plain enough in a
live animal are frequently absent in a
dressed carcass. One of the telltale
marks that remains in many cases is a
series of livid blotches on the skin and
another thing is congested blood specks
on the surface of the kidneys and under
the outer covering. Any carcasses bear
ing these or other evidences OF disease
plain to the eye of an expert will be
marked down If or1ered for sale and If
examination proves that it is from an in
fected animal an effort will be made to
trace the dressed meat to its source OF
origin.
The Department Of Agriculture has
been working for years on the prob
lem of finding a protective serum for
hogs that would make them immune
to cholera Such serum has been
developed. and has been largely used
by the big growers with excellent re-
suits, but the smaller farmers who
raise only a very few animals have
generally been willing to trust to
chance rather than go to the expense
and trouble of cholera incubation.