The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-10-29
YEOMAN.M|LLER SERUM
PLANT SEEMS CLEAN
AND SANITARY
HISTORY OF THE BOISE HOG
CHOLERA SERUM FACTORY
FARMERS ARE PLEAS
ED WITH PRODUCT
Industry in Idaho Will Not Maintain
Government Inspected Plant-Man-
ager Miller is Capable and Exper-
fenced Man-Appearances are that
Factory is up to Standard.

There has been some criticism and
quite a little discussion anent the
Yeomans- Miller Anti-Hog Cholera
Serum plant, situated near Boise, so
The Tribune's Hired Man made a
trip of inspection the first of the
week.
He had been told that plant was
unsanitary; that in the preparation of
the serum infection was not only pos
Sible, but probable; and that the man
agement was subterranean in methods
and that the whole proposition SMELL
ed to high heaven as a nolsome dis
grace.
A little history of the creation of
the plant is interesting.
]. A. Miller had a large hog ranch
near Denver. He ran from 5000 to
$4,000 hogs. In 1904 cholera appear
ed among his porkers and he lost
one-third in short order. A federal
expert was imported at a cost of
about $5,OO0-and nothing beyond
the spending of the money was ac-
complished.
In 1908 Mr.. Miller's son, M. M.
Miller, who had been studying and
experim built a small labora-
tory on the ranch and began the man.
ufacture of anti-cholera serum.
From the start he was successful
and cholera disappeared, never again
to return to the Miller ranch.
a large herd of hogs, and in the
spring of 1913 cholera appeared. He,
hearing of the success in fighting
cholera on the Miller ranch, immed-
lately telegraphed for M. M. Miller
to come to Idaho and help him put
on the lid. Mr.. Miller was in Chi
cago and by the time he had reached
the Denver ranch, Mr.. Yeomans wir,
ed it was not encessary to come &c
Idaho--the hogs were all dead. AS a
matter of fact, he had lost 1900 head
all that were attacked.
About Thanksgiving Mr.. Yeomans
went to Denver, and as result of his
talk with Mr.. Miller, the two return
ed TO Idaho and started the Yeomans-
Miller plant.
At the time they began operations
hogs were quoted at about $8.75, max
ing lHS CAPOhSlNOs OhA
doesn't deliberately give hogs cholera
when they are worth $875 on the
hoof, without recognizing that one is
taking some risk financially. In 1915
the serum treatment had not advanc,
ed as far as it has today.
1t was necessary to charge &c pei
c. c. for the serum at that time Later
the cost was reduced to lHc.
Mr.. Miller had immediate and graf
flying success with his serum. The
| firm has a number of letters from en-
thusiastic customers, and its bust
ness is growing nicely.
The Yeomans-Miller plant is not {
government-licensed plant, and fol
this reason cannot ship the serum GU
of the state. When asked why they
did not comply with federal require
ments and quiet criticism, Mr.. Millel
said:
TO build plant according to gov
eminent requirements would cos
over 8,00000-and the business coult
not be made to pay in Idaho. hav,
blue prints in my desk OF plant sucl
as they require. 1t means three build
ings instead of one, and | can do TIL
same work, just as we'll, in our owl
plant as it is.
"In any plant, it is all a matter o
care. When you are compelled +
rely on hired help, you naturally can
not hope for the same care as thougI
you yourself were doing the work
that is the main reason the govern
ment insists on their requirements be
ing carried out in the certified plant:
for they are generally large plant
with a number of employees doin
the work-and the government doe
not make one rule for one and anc
Their for someone else.
THE greatest care is exercised i
the preparation of the serum her,
We take an immuned hog-one thu
has had the cholera and recovered
and hyper-immune it by the injectio
of 1900 c. c. of serum. In a shoi
time this hog receives an injectio
of yirus-blood from hog sick wit
cholera-about a quart being injecte
: in the peritoneum. In about SIEVE
: days the anti-cholera germs have wo
| the battle, and all the blood is ant
, cholera. We than place the hog
) machine, run his tail through
canvass curtain, shave the tail. dish
feet the hog. paint it with iodine
and then cut off about half an inc
of the tail. The blood, about a quar-
is received into a small jar. Wht
t de-fibrated, and a preservative is ad,
ed, becomes the serum of the marke
| This is then placed in cold-storai
S plant and kept at about 40 degree
] THE hog continues to lose hal
r inch of his tail with each operatio
so long as he has any tail-then v
use all of his blood. All of the i
e struments are carefully boiled befo