Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-02-25

4Ou III always HnQ the laCcn-
string on the outside"
Hog Cholera.
Eds. Freeman-Tribune: In view
of the fact that intense interest is
being manifested in the Iowa hog
cholera legislation, perhaps it would
be well to ask few questions be-
fore committing ourselves to expen-
sive special methods.
The first question that arises is
Does the method of treatment with
virus and serum for hog cholera, ap-
peal to the mind as reasonable?
believe that brief explanation
of the method of procuring serum
and virus, and the means of admin
istering same to the hog will best
answer the question, and / shall
quote somewhat from reports of the
Springfield, Illinois, hog-serum lab
oratory. Dr.. A. T. Peters, bacteriol-
ogist, while recommending the use
|of serum-virus says: 1--WE do not
claim to cure cholera. There is no
sure cure for the disease" The
stock claim, of course, is for immun-
ization, but how Is one to know that
the porcine victims would die with
out treatment, or vice versa?
The old method Of treating was
with serum alone, and DR.. Peters
says of it: 81 hold that 1t is crime
to treat hogs with serum alone, as
it affords immunity for only a few
days at most, while the serum-virus
treatment--if properly administer
ed will make hog immune for
life. The Doctor expatiates on the
Importance of a skilled wet" doing
the work, and regrets that some of
them do not use the proper tools,
and admits that many mistakes oc-
cur, all of which should brand the
enterprise as too early in the exper-
mental stage for adoption by us.
Virus is chemically treated blood
obtained from cholera hogs. Serum
is blood drawn from hogs which
have previously been immunized.
(Treated with virus.) These two
"dopes" are supposed to neutralize
each other and the poison in the
hogs system and thus immunizes
him.
Serum is obtained in this way:
Healthy hogs are vaccinated with
virus (blood from diseased animals)
and later these vaccinated hogs are
bled. and the blood defibrinated and
mixed with carbolic acid, and you
have serum. Hogs treated as above
are called hyperimmunized, and in
drawing blood from them to manu-
facture serum, three pints are taken
from $50 lb. hog, and he may be
bled four times before 1t is necessary
to hyper-immunize him again. This
looks like clear case for the hui
name society, but since the victims
rnmp and tail are thoroughly scrub
bed with soap and water and alco-
hol before the end of the tail is
clipped and fastened into steriliz-
ed bottle which catches the blood,
the hurt may not be so severe as
though amputation took place in an
unsterilized state. This blood after
being clotted is ready for use with
the virus. This serum and virus
are injected simultaneously, though
from two separate hypodermic
syringes, the virus into one thigh of
the hog, the serum into the other.
and 10! the scientific CD stunt"
has been performed.
! believe that no one will accuse
me of being slow in accepting new
theories and ideas, or dilatory in in
dorsing innovations, but this meth
cd of immunization for hogs, seems
to have the human incubation for
beaten several blocks. ri
am in favor of all kinds of expert
and hail all scientific re-
suits. but should we approve or ask
legislative aid or compulsion until
we can be shown tangible proof of |