The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-03-01
TUBERCULOSIS OF HOGS
Causing Millions of Dollars Loss An
nually. Prevention Practicable and
Relatively Ecayy.

hualt- tFtNthllun iFaCiltaph ans
Relatively Ecasy.
TO rid the country q tuberculosis o
hogs, n disease which is costing mil
lions of dollars annually is practicable
and relatively easy determination
should be attained without delay be-
fore The disease, which appears @ b,
increasing, has gained TOO much head
way, is the advice Of the specialists q
the United States Department Of Az
riyulturc The official figures Show
that Q per cent Of the hogs slaughtered
during the fiscal year 1916 at estab
lishmcnts under Federal meat inspcc
ton were affected with tuberculosis ii
some degree. In the case Of hogs From
certain localities, especially some Of
the dairying sections, however, over q
per cent, or one out of four hogs
slaughtered, had the disease In fact
so serious has hog tuberculosis become
in some localities that hog buyers for
packing houses are avoiding certain
regions known TO be badly infected
and some packers already are buying
hogs subject TO post-mortcm inspec-
ton, with the loss for tubcrcular hogs
falling on the feeder. Other buyers
who do not buy subject TO post norton
inspection protect themselves by offer
ing lower price for all hogs, in which
case the careful breeder suffers equal
~ with the careless one. The follow
ing information regarding the control
of this disease is taken from Farmers
Bulletin ISL, tuberculosis of Hogs, by
John X. Mohler and Henry j. Wash
burn.
The two principal ways Of prevent
ing hogs from becoming tubercular
are by keeping them away from tuber-
cular cattle and by cooking or pasteur-
izing all skim milk and cooking all
garbage before it is fed to the hogs.
On dairy farms, unless the cattle
have been tuberculin tested and are
known to be free from disease, hogs
should never be allowed to follow the
dairy cattle or to drink raw milk. In
any event, it is safer to cook skim
milk or buttermilk or to pasteurize it,
by holding it at l45 degrees f. for 30
minutes or at 176 degrees F. for one
minute. That raw milk from tuber-
culin cows will convey the disease to
hogs is fully established by adequate
tests. Raw milk of any kind from q
creamery is particularly dangerous for
hogs, because if there is but one tubor-
cular herd on the creamery route, the
mix from this h rd may affect all the
skim milk collected at the factory.
This explains why tuberculosis is most
common in hogs in dairy regions
where milk is taken to a central
creamery and raw skim milk brought
back to the farm from The general
stock.
The droppings Of tubercular cattle
also convey the germs to hogs which
arc allowed to follow them. For this.
reason hogs should be kept cut Of COW
lots. On the other hand, hogs can fol
low steers with comparatively little
danger. Steers arc not kept indoors
as much rs dairy cattle and commonly
arc sold before they are old enough for
the disease to develop to the point
where it spreads through the drop
pings.
Raw garbage, especially garbage
collected from cities, may carry the
germs of tuberculosis and infect hogs |
to which it is fed. The germs in such
garbage will be rendered harmless if
the garbage is cooked before it is
fed. Such garbage, if it has not
reached the putrefactive stage, is adj
mirable for feeding purposes, provid-
&c the containers are kept always
clean. Piggeries, where sterilized
garbage is prepared and fed, should
be so constructed that they may be
readily cleansed.
No hog should be allowed to eat
carrion, such as dead chickens or other
or to eat raw offal from
or farm butchering.
All slaughterhouse waste before being
fed should be thoroughly cooked, as
this will kill the germs of tuberculosis
and other diseases. Careful investiga-
ton shows that slaughterhouse tank
age does not spread the disease, as
the preparation Of this tankage in
wolves thorough sterilization by heat.
1t stands TO reason that no person
affected with tuberculosis should be al
owed TO work among hogs, and that
hogs, like other animals, have much
better chance of withstanding the dis
ease if given plenty Of fresh air and
sunlight and provided with quarters
hat are kept sanitary.
Where reports from slaughterhouses