New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1912-11-02
PROTECTIVE VACCINES.

PiOy HoHI VI Inc various ptOleC.
tive vaccines and sera against
contagious animal diseases, there
seems to have become a tendency
to place upon these valuable aids
too much dependence of the com.
plete control and eradication OF
the diseases in which they arc
used. This is a very serious mis-.
apprehension of the use of these
valuable protective agents, and
tends rather the opposite direc.
tion-viz., to permit infec ton to
remain and spread, instead of
wholly wiping it out. 1t should
be indelibly impressed upon the
stock-owner's mind that the vac
cinatiOn of his animals is only a
part of the work in the effort to
stamp out the germs of our most
fatal animal contagious. And
unless he attends strictly to the
sanitary side of the problem,
which includes, especially, thel
careful disposal of all diseased
carcasses, he is simply preserving
and spreading the infection
against which he is trying to af-
ford his animals protection
which is somewhat of a paradox,
and a very dangerous one in this
connection.
There can be little question,
we think, that our widespread in
fection of both charbon and hog
cholera is due to too much de-
pendence being placed upon the
vaccine and the serum, and too
little attention paid to strict SAN
itatiOn in order to destroy the in
fection of these fatal plaques.
When an outbreak Of charbon
or hog cholera takes place among
a farmers stock, he loses no time
in his effort to secure anthrax
vaccine, or hog cholera serum,
as the case may be, which, neces-
sarily. is the proper thing to do.
But what does he often do with
the carcasses of the animals that,
unfortunately succumb to one or
the other, or both of these dis
eases. The chances are, he may
haul them off to some convenient
spot where buzzards, Or other car
rion feeders, can feast from off
their germ-seething bodies and
carry the infection far and wide.
Or, he may dump them into some
running stream so that his neigh
bors below may get a "dOse OF
the same medicine" among their
stock. We do not mean to pre-
sumo, of course, that he intends
it this way; but, nevertheless, In
fection is often spread in just
such manner.
Now, what is the result? The
farmer may protect the bulk OF,
his animals by the use of the vac
cine Or the serum for the time
being, but, by his sanitary care
lessness, he is creating a condi-
ton against which he will have to
continually attempt to protect by
vaccination, instead OF trying to
ultimately eradicate the disease
from his place by the combined
use of the vaccine to protect hrs
stock, and careful sanitary meas
ures to reduce and, eventually
wipe out the Infection.
It will be seen, therefore, that
the protective vaccines and sera
are merely aids in the control OF
such fatal diseases as charbon and
hog cholera, and not the safe
thing, as many would seem to
, imagine.
) These thoughts have been sug-
gested by the continuous stream
of requests for hog cholera serum,
which rather indicate to the writ
er that the rules and regulations
embodied in state legislation o.
this kind are not usually adopted
up space. They mean something.
Il is to endeavor to control and
eradicate these fatal infections
that such are made to be en-
forced.
j The Louisiana State livestock
Sanitary Board sprepares the Sc
rum to protect the farmers hogs
but it also has strict sanitary reg.
ulations with regard to the care.
full disposal of diseased animal
carcasses. We hear Of the many
requests for serum from all over
the state, but we are not so sure
that the boards sanitary regula.
tions are SO anxiously or strictly
complied with. And yet the two
ought to go hand in hand in order
10 accomplish the best results in
the complete eradication OF this
and other diseases Of similar
character-in fact, there is q
much greater possibility of ex'
terminating the infection OF an
infectious disease by the adop.
ton of strict sanitary measures
alone. than by simply using vac
cines. or sera, and neglecine
strict sanitary procedure.
It is to be hoped, therefore, that
1 our ssock-owners will bear IN
mind that merely protecting then
animals from should use every Ell
fort to rid their places Of infee
ton; and this can only be don'
by the strict Observance OF TIM
sanitary details necessary to clear
their places of infection, which
is sure to increase their troubfe'
in subsequent years.