786 BOAKD OF AGKIOULTURE. 



The attempts (o vaccinate nji'uust cholera have not boon sucoossfnl. 

 In tlio lirst i)laco, wo know of no animal having: a sirailar disoast', tlie 

 germs of which when iuocnlatcd into the hog will confer imnninity, and 

 no method of attenuating the germs so that they can l>e inoculated with 

 safety has yet been discovered. Some years ago I'.illiugs and Detmers 

 each thought they had discovered successful moans of vaccination and 

 the work was carried on on a largo scale. The results were unsatis- 

 factory, and had to be given up. as it had the effect at times of starting 

 the disease where it did not previously exist. The work is being re- 

 vived at the Kansas Experiment Station and again being reported favor- 

 ably. The matter needs to be more fully demonstrated before advising 

 the stockman to try it^ • 



The Anti-Hog Cholera Serum.— The serum treatment of hog cholera 

 was probably first demonstrated by Dr. Peters in 1890. and the same 

 work undertaken at almost the same time by the Bureau ^of Animal In- 

 dustry. The serum treatment is based upon the same principles as are 

 involved in the anti-toxin for diphtheria. 



It is a well established fact that in some bacterial diseases a strong 

 resistance to the growth of bacteria is developed by the formation in the 

 blood of a substance known as anti-toxin. The germs form a toxin or 

 poison, and the body forms the anti-toxin to counteract the growth of the 

 germs. If the formation of the anti-toxin is in excess the patient re- 

 covers, and it has been found that blood from such a patient can be 

 drawn, the anti-toxin separated, and if added to the blood of a patient 

 that is exposed or affected it will prevent the disease or bring about a 

 recovery. In order to secure anti-toxin in medicinal quantities it is usual 

 to inoculate animals that do not have the particular disease and produce 

 a slight attack, and after recovery reinoculate and repeat until the animal 

 can stand an enormous quantity at one time. A quantity of blood is 

 drawn and the serum separated and this is ready for use. 



The government has experimented upon a large scale with this treat- 

 ment, and in the main the reports have been very favorable. A number 

 of private firms have attempted the same thing, but up to the present 

 time they have not been very successful. This treatment does not promise 

 nearly so much, in the estimation of the writer, as the public has been led 

 to suppose. The serum can not be produced at low cost, and its adminis- 

 tration requires the services of a veterinarian, two conditions which mili- 

 tate against its general usage. 



Prevention.— As we have no specific for the disease nor any line of 

 medication that is fairly successful, we must rely upon prevention. This 

 can not be done to the same extent as in many other diseases, and this Is 

 especially true of swine plague. To enumerate all of the steps would 

 necessitate repetition of points already made, so that only the more 

 prominent will be considereVJ. 



First, the water supjily should bo fi-om deep, tubular wells. Water 



