El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-02
~ WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. .
M Plaques Of domestic animals

w TASh1NG1O-Nt u - Jan 80
M Plaques Of domestic animals
cost this country hundreds OF
millions Of dollars every year. Foot
and mouth disease, which just at pres
ent is making so much trouble, is one
Of the least important Of them, because
it appears only once in a long while.
Hog cholera, on the other hand, is
"endemic"-that is, permanently estab-
Eisenhower all parts Of the United
states. It occasions enormous losses
to our farmers every year, being very
deadly and one Of the most contagious
Of known diseases So serious is the
situation as regards this malady that
the federal government has at last
taken up the problem in earnest with
an appropriation Of 100000, granted
by congress last February, Tor the
study and eradication Of hog cholera.
This disease of the pig has much 10
do with the high price Of pork. In
deed the same remark applies TO all
the plaques that afflict domestic am
mals-they raise the cost Of meats. II
they were eradicated the housewife
marketing money would go consldera-
bly, further than it does now.
Fortunately. this eradication Dlds
fair to be accomplished before very
long. Science. backed by Uncle SAM
hog cholera a cure-Or more accurate
~ speaking. a preventive-has been re-
gently discovered. and all that Is need
ed TO get rid Of the malady altogether
Is that methods which have aIrea1X
been worked out eXperlmentally Snail
be put into practice on a large scale.
a hog that has recovered from an
attack Of the disease is thereby rem
dered immune. It is made what IS
90 He'd a "hyDerimmune meaning
fr-n-e I1nn-DX
repeated under the skin injections OF
blood taken from another pig SICK W!In
the complaint Then some of the blood
Of this hyperimmune animal Is drawn
off and the red part allowed TO settle
at the bottom. The watery portion,
remaining on top, is powerful I'M
munizing agent, acting as preventive
when introduced into the veins o.
healthy hogs with a hypodermlc
immunity Not Permanent.
This serum even acts as cure IN
the early stage OF the malady. The in
u1unitv Il produces lasts only snort
time But il has been found that Z
long time immunity can be obtained
by injecting the healthy hog Slmulta-
neously with doses Of the serum and OF
blood from a sick pig. In order 10
utilize the valuable hypOdermlc amman
to the greatest possible advantage, It's
blood is repeatedly drawn by cutting
off pieces Of its tail; and finally, Wneu
it is killed. all of its blood is used Cor
the manufacture of the precious serum
Cholera Areas Established.
The campaign newly started against
hog cholera has begun with the PICK
ing odt Of certain areas in the greatest
hog producing states, with view 70
trying to control the disease within the
limits Of those areas-OperauOns 10 De
thereafter extended until the whole
country is covered. The states chosen
are Iowa. Indiana, Missouri and Ne
braska. To each of these states a
trained expert has been assigned by the
government bureau of animal indus
try. under whose directions the local
authorities are working. All the serum
used is manufactured at Ames, Ia. An
important part of the plan is to educate
farmers on the subject. teaching then
how 10 treat their own hogs.
A very destructive disease of sheep
and cattle is known as "scables' and Il
caused by a minute parasitic insect
nearly related to the species which pro-
duces itch" in man. The malady IN
cattle is commonly called mango.
Formerly ii was spread all over tins
country west of the Missippi river, bul
Is years ago the bureau Of animal IN
dustry took up the business of eXtir'
patinE 1T. and the effort in this direc'
ton has been so far successIuI mat a
the present time cattle mango does no
exist i'm the United States except in 6
few counties OF Texas. As for scab o
sheen. il has disappeared entirely ev
ervwhere except in Texas, about two
thirds Of California and perhaps one
third of Colorado.
This has been accomplished by in
spection Of herds and by dipping. j.
a scabby sheep or steer is found at tn