VETERINARY SCIENCE AND PRACTICE. 95 



the epidermis aiul also in the sebaceous glands. In tlu- lung tlie inicro-organisma 

 were found in hypertrophied epithelial cells, such as are found in catarrhal 

 pneumonia. 



The prevalence of sheep scab, A. W. Bitting {Indiana Sta. lipt. WOO, p)>. 40- 

 52). — The author re])orts in a tabular form the results of inquiries concerning the 

 prevalence of this disease during the years 1899 to 1900. These inquiries indicated 

 that there are about "t.TOO cases of sheep seal) in the State. 



Epidemics of hog- cholera and swine plague, A. AV. Biitini! {rudknid S(<i. Rpt. 

 I'MOy pp. 87-4^). — The observations ui>on which this report is based cover a period 

 of 8 }ears, from 1893 to 1900, inclusive. A ta])le is given showing the number of 

 hogs and loss from disease in Indiana for a period of years. Tiu^ author studie<l the 

 relation of hog diseases to the water supi)ly, witli tiie result that the losses were 

 found to be much greater in the counties which ])order ujxju the AVabash and AVhite 

 Rivers than in the counties which were farther removed. During the same time a 

 correspondeiu-e with breeders of pure-bred swine indicated that about 90 per cent of 

 them lost no hogs, Avhile their neighbors suffered severely, lu most cases they had 

 used w ell Avater, while their neighbors had used surface water. During epidemics of 

 swine diseases the decaying carcasses are freijuently thrown into rivers and other 

 water supply, and the conditions seem to l)e favora))le for the spread of the disease. 

 Similar investigations, however, from 1898 to 1900, inclusive, showed no ai)preciahle 

 difference in the prevalence of the disease in townships bordering on the river and 

 those which were more remote, the percentage of disease being somewhat higher in 

 the remote townships. These results are apparently contradictory and indicate that 

 the water suj^ply is only one means of disseminating the contagious hog diseases. A 

 study of the relationship between differences in elevation and the prevalence of the 

 diseases showed that sut-h differences had no apj^reciable effect. Negative results 

 were also obtained from a study of the relation of the amount and distribution of the 

 rainfall to the prevalence of hog cholera. In some seasons the disease was more jirev- 

 alent in dry areas and in others in those having the greatest rainfall. Only slight 

 difference in the percentage of disease was noted in tow'iiships of varying density in 

 the swine population. 



Hog cholera is present at all seasons, l>ut is more epidenuc during late summer and 

 fall, and gradually subsides during winter and spring. Feeding with corn has not 

 been shown to have an unfavorable effect. The author made a study of the relation 

 of transportation to the spread of the disease. During 8 years not more than a dozen 

 outbreaks of the disease were fomid which appeared independently of the shipment 

 of stock, and the disease was not found more prevalent along railroad lines than at 

 points more remote. Experiments were made to determine the length of time during 

 which the hog-cholera bacillus may persist in a virulent condition in infected premises. 

 Repeated observations showed that outbreaks of the disease occurred in from 1 to 4 

 years as a result of rooting out and eating the remains of former victims. Many 

 farmers, however, allow the hogs to run on premises from which diseased hogs have 

 just been removed, and without bad results. The carcasses of dead hogs are often 

 fed to other hogs. In harmony with these practices is the observation that after a 

 severe outbreak of hog cholera the premises usually remain free from the disease for 

 a few years. 



A study of the relation of the age of swine to the virulence of Tie infection indi- 

 cated that hogs mider 5 months suffered more than those which were older. Exhi- 

 bitions at fairs and i)ublic sales are considered more important factors in the dissem- 

 ination of disease than they are usually thought to be. Government efforts in 

 stamijing out the disease in Iowa, Minnesota, and in England have yielded favorable 

 results, but such police measures are expensive. 



Diseases of the pig, A. AV. Bittinc {Special report of the Indiana State Board of 

 Agriculture on the hu<j, Indianapolis: W. B. Burford, 1900, 2>P- 9-65) . — In this part of 



