No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 123 



York. In a few instances it was found on investigation tli>at the 

 disease was" not bog cholera. Where the disease existed it was 

 usually found that hogs shipped into the State b}- rail had recently 

 been purchased and placed on the premises. The usual methods 

 of separation, isolation, quarantine, and cleaning and disinfection 

 were applied, and when properly observed and carried out usually 

 prevented the spread of the disease from infected farms to other 

 premises. These methods, however, were not successful in as great 

 a degree in preventing losses among the exposed animals on the 

 infected premises. Of 2,514 hogs on these premises, 1,250 developed 

 the disease and 1)64 died. It is important to note in this connection, 

 however, that in numerous instances the disease had existed on a 

 farm for several weeks, a number of animals had died, and a large 

 portion of the herd was affected, before the advice of the local 

 veterinarian was obtained or a i-eport made to this office, thus delay- 

 ing the application of the proper preventive measures. 



The United States Bureau of Animal Industry, which has been at 

 work for a number of years to develop a method of vaccinating or 

 immunizing hogs ag^ainst hog cholera, announced in the latter part 

 of the year that it had been discovered that the serum of a hog 

 hyper-immunized against hog cholera when injected into a hog 

 rendered the injected animal temporarily immune to hog cholera, 

 and that when a quantity of this ''hyperimmune'' serum was injected 

 simultaneously with a small quantity of virulent blood, the im- 

 munity or resistance to natural infection with hog cholera was 

 permanent and continuous. After a careful study of the method of 

 preparing the serum, of vaccinating or immunizing hogs, and of the 

 results obtained from the application of the method in controlling a 

 comparatively large number of outbreaks of hog cholera, it was 

 decided to arrange to prepare the serum and to use it for the pro- 

 tection and benefit of the hog owners of Pennsylvania. Temporary 

 arrangements for the preparation of a small quantity of the serum 

 were made and the actual preparation of the serum was under way 

 when the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease made it necessary to 

 drop the work. It is hoped, however, that this work may soon be 

 resumed. It may be well to mention here that in order to obtain 

 the best results it is necessary to make the inoculation at the be- 

 ginning of an outbreak. 



TUBERCULOSIS. The work in connection with tuberculosis in cat- 

 tle has been carried out along the lines followed in previous 

 years. Insufficient funds has made it impossible to comply with the 

 manj' requests of owners of dairy and breeding herds for inspections 

 and tuberculin tests. It has never been practicable to do as much 

 of this work as was demanded, but it has been more limited this 

 year than heretofore, partly on account of the unusual and unex- 

 pected demands made upon the funds at the disposal of the Board. 

 In many instances, rather than wait until the inspection and tuber- 

 culin test could be made by the Board, owners have had the work 

 done by their local veterinarian, and were then given the assistance 

 provided by law in disposing of the cattle found to be diseased. 

 During the year 867 cattle afflicted with tuberculosis were 

 destroyed. These came from 561 herds in fifty-four counties. 



Certificates of inspection, condemnation and appraisement were 

 filed for 470 cattle killed in slaughter houses for food purposes and 



