St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1915-11-06
Sanitation on Farm
Confined from page ~

germs
There il nothing that can approac.
fire a. thorough disinfectant, and
where It II feasible to apply It. such
~ In the consumption Of carcasses,
the destruct' on Of contaminated lit
ter, and the like, It should be en-
ployed. Ma life can Withstand the
effect Of heat in this form; and az
the lowly organisms We have beei
discussing are all living things. al
though SO minute they too are bound
to succumb to its influence, when
other measures might fail to brin1
it about.
Preventive measures, naturally
occupy q most prominent place in tn,
great scheme Of hygiene and santa
ton. These may be either natural
or artificial; the former embracing
everything that would aid in main
tanning q healthy equilibrium in tht
animal, under ordinary conditions OF
life; the latter, aiding in the pre-
vention Of specific disease shy the
use Of vaccines, serums, etc. will
only have time to refer to two OF
such diseases, with their artificial
protective agents, viz, anthrax and
hog cholera.
Notwithstanding the apparent in
crease in the use. Of vaccines and Sc
runs in connection with these mala-.
dies, It would seem that the infec-
ton, Of each, continues to extend to
it, borders from year to year. The
question naturally arises, how Is this
to be accounted fort In my humble
judgment, and from considerable ex-
perience, stockowners, generally. are
not, a. yet, sufficiently informed re-
gsrding the true nature Of these dis
eases, and how the infection may be
spread, and they place too much reli-
ance in artificial protectives, which
are only aids, although valuable
ones, and pay too little attention to
strict sanitation, or the destruction
Of the infection itself, which 10 at
the foundation Of the control and
eradication Of any Of the contagious
or germ-produced diseases. Or, In
other words the e;cacy Of the arti-
fetal means Of protection, and per-
NIT the infection to remain on their
premises just for the amusement Of
trying to protect against its effects,
Where. and 80 long a., such half
measures prevail, we need not an
tictpate the early and total eradica-
tion of such germ and total eradica-
ton Of such germ diseases as char
bon and hog cholera.
Sanitation, alone, in its most COM
prehensive application, may be made
to control such diseases. although
this does not seem practicable with
US at the present time; sanitation
mad the judicious employment Of the
artificial protictives may, and doubt
less will, accomplish speedier re-
suits; but the usa Of protective
agents, alone, or, without the addi-
ton Of strict sanitary measures. is,
to my mind, but temporizing with
the situation.
Speaking for my own section, and
l presume It IL not very different In
others, II n not m uncommin oc-
currence to ind . farmer paying
out his money. for anti-hog cholera
serum and at the same time hauling
out his diseased carcasses to some
branch or other, resulting in his
neighbor further down the stream
becoming the involuntary victim Of
his unsanitary carelessness. Or. II
he does decide to bury, 1t is not an
unusual sight to ind Z leg or two
projecting above the surface Of the
ground for wandering dogs to get
hold Of, uneerth the infected body,
and in this way, scatter the infection
tar and wide over the surrounding
country.
And the same may be said with
regard to the charbon carcass. The
animal, alive, may have been worth
81, 600, yet when dead, al interest
in It 10 lost, and rather than 60 to
the trouble, and perhaps . little ex-
pense Of burning It mp. the owner
has it hauled out and left exposed
for the infection to be carried all
over by the different carrion feed
ers. or other agencies that may come
In contact with its virulent blood and
tissues. And yet, II sueh owners
were but more accurately informed
ON the subject, they would know,
which 10 fact, that the animal dead
Of this disease 10 Infinitely more dam
Eerous than one that has not yet
succumbed to It.
Such conditions a. have men
toned seem almost unbelievable In
this supposedly enlightened age, and
especially when the majority, IL not
all, Of our Southern States have live
stock sanitary laws to control them.
However, such laws do not stand Tor
much where the citizens remain un-
informed. or where the greater part
Of the sentiment is against their en-
forcement, Notwithstanding the fac@
that they have been enaced solely in
their behalf.
An effort BY the state; alone. to
control the infectious and contag-
ious diseases within ito borders, can
never be successfully prosecuted by
any single department, in the alb