Report of State Veterinarian. 47 



sequent heavy losses sent no such shipments. Altogether it seems 

 that there must have been a local loss averaging at least $10,000.00 

 at the point of origin of each of the 880 shipments. At least, the 

 total loss from hog cholera in this State, during the past five years, 

 can not be placed below $8,000,000.00. The exhibition of a lot of 

 hogs diseased with cholera this year at our State Fair, resulted in 

 the infection of choice hogs from our finest registered herds. Al- 

 most without exception these hogs were returned to the herd with- 

 out the precaution of keeping them in quarantine for 30 days. 

 They were the source of the infection which has not only ruined 

 many of our best registered herds, but spread the disease through- 

 out the various neighborhoods in which they belonged. Whatever 

 the loss from this amounts to, it must be added to the $8,000,000.00 

 already accounted- for, to get at the total loss from hog cholera in 

 the past few years. 



During the drouth of 1901, the stock hogs were shipped out of 

 this State or killed outright to such an extent as to leave barely 

 one-half of the normal number in the farmers' hands. In 1902 the 

 bumper corn crop raised in the State, created a big demand for 

 stock hogs to which to feed it. Anticipating the results that al- 

 ways follow the promiscuous shipping of stock hogs, this depart- 

 ment undertook to forestall the impending outbreak. On investi- 

 gation it was found that the funds available for veterinary control 

 work would not permit this department to put any effective system 

 of control into operation. With a view to preventing the spread 

 of disease as far as possible, the three stock yards of the State 

 were quarantined and the authorities in charge were forbidden to 

 allow any hogs to be removed therefrom except for immediate 

 slaughter. Information concerning hog cholera and directions for 

 preventing its introduction into and spread through this State, was 

 published broadcast in the market reports and all agricultural 

 papers. The principal directions given were in regard to handling 

 stock hogs, and they hold good today. These instructions warned 

 buyers to avoid buying stock hogs in any neighborhood where the 

 cholera was present. They advised the owner to disinfect any car 

 used for shipping hogs, by washing it with a corrossive sublimate 

 solution 1 to 1,000. They also advised that whenever hogs are 

 moved from one place to another they should be kept in quarantine 

 for at least 25 days before they are turned in with other hogs. Then 

 during the session of the Legislature in 1903, after the cholera had 

 gotten well started, a special appropriation of $6,000 was asked 



