The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-02-21
HOW HOG CHOLERA IS BEING
coMBATED.

The Department of Agriculture dur
ing the past year has been conducting
campaigns in Indiana, Missouri Iowa,
and Nebraska to control the contagi.
GUS disease of hogs, known as hog
cholera by means Of antihog.cholera
serum and farm guarantees. In one
county fPettis County, MOI where
there was loss of IS per cent in 1911
and 25.6 per cent in 1912 of all hogs
raised, there was only loss of AT
per cent up to November, 1913. This
decrease was due to the use of the
serum, which, although not used there
by the departments agents until Au-
gust 1913 materially reduced the loss.
About $4,000 hogs were raised during
the past year, and of the 10000 that
died of hog cholera only about 1000
were lost after the active use of serum
and quarantine measures were inaug-
urated.
In every county where these meas.
ures were employed, even though be-
gun after the disease had continued
its rayages for some time, there was
less loss from hog cholera than in
either of the two preceding years.
In addition to its great function as a
preventive, it has been found that the
antihog-cholera serum would cure
large proportion of hogs in the early
stages of the disease and render them
immune after recovery However. IL
hogs are not treated by this serum,
from rs to 100 per cent in all affected
ease. This serum requires special
known, is the only thing that will pre-
vent the disease
OF hogs actually sick when treated
the departments inspectors lost but
rs per cent during the past summer
OF well hogs in diseased herds, 2.8 per
cent died after being treated, and OF
hogs in exposed herds less than per
cent died after being inoculated with
the serum. In an infected herd there
is always certain proportion of hogs
that are well.
The Inspector examines the hogs
when he arrives, takes the tempera-
ture of all hogs in the herd, and sepa.
rates the sick from the well. The tenn
perature is an indication of sickness.
Some states are engaged In the man.
ufacture of serum to prevent this die.
herds die. This serum, so far as is
treatment to preserve it's quality and
qualified man to produce it. sufici-
ent serum to treat an average 100.
pound hog costs about 80 cents at
liberal estimate. The treatment Ii by
hypodermic injection.
Hog cholera is caused by a germ
that exists in the blood II Ii an or.
ganism apparently so small that the
most powerful microscopes do not
show it. However, it Is easy to de.
monstrate its presence by inoculating
small part OF the blood from a sick
hog into we'll one, which produces
the hog cholera.
Hog cholera is disease which
seems to be stopped to a degree by the
frosts of winter, although, frost can not
be said to stop case after 1t has
taken hold of its victim. However.
it seems to prevent the rapid spread
of the disease. The result is that in
spring.time the affection is as a rule
at the lowest ebb but increases rapidly
from that time until fall.
Hog cholera does not seem to affect
any particular breed of hogs more than
another, and while generally the care
less farmer is more apt to have the
disease among his hogs than the care
full one, the disease sometimes occurs
where the conditions are sanitary.
The fact that hog cholera is carried
not only by the hogs themselves but
by birds, dogs, streams, and even on
the feet of men going from one farm
to another shows how necessary II is
that the campaign be thorough and
that farmers exert their best efforts
to assist in the work.