Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-04-29
SANITARY BOARD
ON STOCK DISEASES

In the recently published biennial
report of the Oregon livestock sani-
tary board the board makes the fol-
lowing statements in regard to live
stock diseases in the state:
The state of Oregon has suffered
no widespread infection the past two
years. No new or not previously ex-
isting diseases have been diagnosed
within our borders this past biennial.
However, several diseases not long
eXistant within the state have become
quite widespread and have been the
cause of considerable alarm and an
noyance. Cattle scabies, introduced
from some unknown source into CEN
tral Lake county some three years
ago, has now been entirely eradicat-
ed. Much credit is due the stock
owners of central Oregon for their
thorough cooperation in the matter
of eradicating this malady. Johnes'
disease has been diagnosed OCCASION
ally and continues to be a source of
much concern. However, the disease
is not highly prevalent and does not
seem to be on the increase. The ex-
treme insidiousness of this malady
makes it one of the most difficult
that the sanitarian is forced to cope
with. 1t seems if there are any dag
nostic measures Of value, either in
the administration of avian (fowD
tuberculin, which is reputed to pro-
duce a reaction in infected animals
similar to a tubercular reaction to
the ordinary bovine tuberculin; or
the microscopical examination of rec
tai scrapings for the peculiar acid fast
organisms. of this disease, that these
measures should be carried out at the
port of entry or quarantine station,
as practically all Johnes' disease di-
agnosed in the state has been intro
duced through imported animals from
European dairy centers. The early
detection of this disease is of such
far-reaching sanitary importance that
we can forego the chance of an occa-
sionaly mistake in attempting to
make a positive diagnosis.
Hog cholera or swine plague has
been of quite frequent occurrence this
past two years. The disease, how
ever, does not seem to be increasing
in its extent, but rather seems to be
on the decline. We have attempted
to give immediate attention to all
reported cases of cholera, and with
out exception all animals reported
and found upon investigation to be
infected have been Immediately quar-
antined and placed under the serum
treatment. Something over 70 per
cent of the animals of such infected
herds treated have recovered from
the infection, leaving a mortality of
30 per cent. This, while carrying a
considerably larger death rate than
federal treated herds, is to be regard
ed as a fair showing, owing to the
fact that we have treated all animals
of the drove rather than only those
showing temperatures below 104 de.
grees Fahrenheit. Within the last
six months we have been given assist.
ance from the federal government, in
! the person of DR.. V. W. Knowles, who
is carrying out the educational propa-
ganda lately instituted by the Federal
Bureau OF Animal Industry. We
have made il a practice to furnish
serum to the user at a cost of 1 cent
per cubic centimeter, the state paying
the difference between the origina
cost and / cent to the user. This has
given uniformly satisfactory results
The serum is furnished more cheapl!
, than in a majority of states where
J the serum is manufactured, and tn,
state has beer put to no expense
whatever in building and maintainin!
serum plant.
The work OF the State Livestocl
: Sanitary Board, while it deals pri
; marily with animal diseases, never
theless indirectly has an importan
bearing on the public health. Severa
3 animal diseases are directly trans
= missible to man, and it is necessar
t that the often unguarded and unad
3. vised public be protected.