The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1917-01-18
..STUPEND0US LOSS.
Hog Cholera Estimated to Have Caused
a Loss of $40,000,000 Annu-
ally Past 40 Years.


ally Past 40 Years.
How the Disastrous Epidemic is Being
Controlled Simple Set of Pre-
ventive Rules Evolved. ~,
An article in a recent issue of the
Scientific American by C. H. Claudy,
relating to the incubation of hogs by
serum, is timely and interesting, and
it is here under reproduced in full:
clog" is term of derision or con-
tempt for the man in the city. But
the farmer calls his hogs mortgage
lifters," because the revenue derived
from swine raising is responsible for
much swine prosperity, and because
were it not for hogs and the profit
they bring many a farm would go un-
improved and undeveloped.
If one hog in herd of a hundred
dies, the farmer is sorry, but he doesn't
tear his hair. But if the ninety-nine
die the one that is left doesn't do him
much good. A thousand, hundred
thousand, even a million dollars worth
Of hogs might be exterminated yearly
and still there would be no great
economic problem to face. But when,
as happened in 1913, SIS, 100000 worth
of hogs die from a disease for which
there is absolutely no cure-hog chol-
era-then, indeed, a wall goes up from
the hog raisers.
At the present time there are g.
047,00O hogs in the United States,
Their value is $571, 100000. The aver
age loss annually due to hog cholera
during the last 40 years is estimated
at not less than $4O,OO0,000. This is
altogether too large a percentage to
give up in one year to a disease which,
while incurable, is preventable. And
while the loss in direct dollars can be
estimated the indirect loss, due to the
encouragement Of hog breeders, is
without price to set upon it, and no
man can say what the public has had to
pay because Of the increased price of
ham and bacon, which might have
been saved were hogs freed from this,
their greatest pestilence. 5s
1t was consideration of these things
and realization of the urgent need of
assistance to those whose greatest
wealth was disappearing in dead hogs
that made the Bureau of Animal In
dustry of the Department of Agricul-
ture begin in the year Of the greatest
loss (1913) a series Of experiments
looking to the eventual control of hog
cholera by quarantine, sanitary meas
ures, and preventive serum treatment.
These experiments extended during
1914, 1915, and 1916 to Is counties in
Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kan
sas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota,
Tennessee, Nebraska, Missouri, Okla
homa, and South Dakota. -
The treatment of almost a quarter
of million hogs in infected herds has
demonstrated the possibility of saving
from IS to 80 per cent Of the animals.
A determined effort on the part of the
proper State officials and farmers CO.
operating with the bureau can un-
doubtedly control and eventually Grad
icate the disease.
Hog cholera is an acute febrile dis
ease which affects only hogs. It is ex-
tremely contagious. While it is found
practically all over the world, it is es-
pecially prevalent in the hog raising
districts of the United States. It first
occurred in 1883 in Ohio, supposedly
from imported hogs from European
countries The disease was gradually
extended to all portions of the United
States along lines of transportation.
Hog cholera mortality is 100 per
cent in some herds, while the average
lis probably from 70 to 80 per cent.
Hogs which survive are usually worth
less. There is no cure for hog chol-
era. But it is preventable, and by a
method which will ring naturally in
ears accustomed to hear of preventive
serum for human diseases. Starting
with the facts that hogs which recover
are thereafter immune, the bureau
discovered that an immune, injected
with blood from sick hog, can pro
vide blood which will protect other
hogs.
The process is scientific and exact
and its results wonderful. A vigorous
immune hog is treated with much
blood from hog cholera patient. At
ter week or two blood is drawn from
the immune by cutting off the end Of
the tail. The fluid portion Of the
blood is mixed with weak carbolic acid
forming a serum which protects from
hog cholera. It is used either by sim.
| Dle or simultaneous incubation.