Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-03-14
Regulation To Prevent The Spread
OF Hog Cholera.

Garbage. table refuse or other products
which might contain pieces or scraps Of
pork of any description, other than that
made on the immediate premises where
fed which has not been previously steril-
lied, shall not be fed to swine on any
premises in the State of Maryland without
first having been heated sufficiently to de-
stroy the hog cholera virus.#
Sterilizing apparatus used for this pur-
pose shall be subject to the inspection and
approval of the Live Stock Sanitary Sec
ton of the Maryland State Board Of Az
riculture.
Regarding the foregoing regulation. its
ACCESSIBILITY will probably be questioned
by some, while others will think they can
take advantage Of it because II states that
garbage. table refuse or other products
that might contain pieces or scraps Of pork,
other than that made on the immediate
premises, y the following reason for
its issuance and its being so worded is
probably warranted. not only to explain
the regulation but also to explain why such
a product. no matter from what source OBJ
tanned, should not be fed to hogs without
first being sterilized.
The vital point which must never be lost
sight of is that garbage that contains pieces
or scraps Of pork which have been derived
from various sources, contains the infection
or causative agent Of hog cholera at prac-
tically all times. This is conceded by all au-
thorities on garbage feeding, even by the
most radical advocates of this method Of
garbage disposal.
The report of the hog cholera work in the
State Of Maryland for the year 1918 shows
that in the cases where ii was possible to
trace the source of infection that 40 per
cent. Of the outbreaks was due to garbage
feeding. In fact, this agent was RESPONSE
Bile for nearly as many outbreaks as all
other agencies combined, and it is signif-
cant fact that this product was fed by only
very small percentage Of those raising
hogs Il is also conceded by every authority
on garbage feeding that ii cannot be fed
successfully in a hit-or-miss manner. and
that the project requires careful study Of
housing facilities, proper feeding and pre-
vention Of disease.
1t is appreciated that unsterilzed garb-
age can be safely used to feed hogs that
have been immunized by the double treat
ment. However. TO permit the mainte-
nance Of such garbage feeding plant
means the perpetuation Of infected prem
Uses which will always be menace to the
raising Of swine in that vicinity.
In framing the regulation, cOgnizance
was taken of the fact that much Of the
garbage which was fed on the premises
where it was made did not contain any
| pork product, or if so, it was usually grown
on the premises, and, therefore, known to
/ be from hogs free Of the disease.
You will, therefore. understand that al
though the regulation was not framed TO
cover the feeding Of garbage on the prem
| Uses where II was made, the fact Is EN-
phasized that should such product contain
any pork other than that grown on the
premises. il might contain the infection Of
hog cholera, produce the disease In your
hogs and cause you unnecessary loss.
Moral-Steriize all garbage before feeding
10 your hogs.
#The vitality Of the organism that causes
hog cholera can not survive a temperature
Of 2l2 degrees Fahrenheit, but unless every
particle Of the infected meat Is brought TO
this temperature the danger Of spreading
the disease is practically as great as II no
heat had been applied.
MARYLAND STATE BOARD o. AGRICULTURE.
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