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and taking chances on a majority of them getting there alive and 

 passing both ante- and post-mortem inspection, rather than go- 

 ing to the expense and trouble of sending for serum, or serum 

 and virus, and thus get their farms or premises thoroughly in- 

 fected and requiring the permanent use of serum. According to 

 the virulence of the infection more or less of the hogs reach 

 the market in a diseased condition and those which are con- 

 demned on ante-mortem inspection have (or had) little or no 

 value, except for tankage. But with serum plants conveniently 

 located such animals become of value for the manufacture of 

 virus, being already infected and ready for "tapping." At the 

 same time a sick animal is more susceptible to any kind of infec- 

 tion than a healthy one, while the symptoms of one disease may 

 easily obscure or vitiate the symptoms of another. In this way 

 some cholera infected hogs may have picked up a few attenuated 

 but still surviving foot-and-mouth disease organisms, and, under 

 cover of the cholera symptoms, have nursed them back to their 

 original virulence. But before the characteristic symptoms of the 

 secondary infection — the blisters and ulcers in the mouth and be- 

 tween the hoofs, the slavering and lameness — make their appear- 

 ance, the hog is disposed of to a serum manufacturer, and the last 

 drop of his blood is drawn and bottled, ready for distribution 

 among unsuspecting hog raisers for the treatment and prevention 

 of disease. 



If the above surmise should prove correct it is obvious that the 

 blame cannot be placed on the federal inspectors, whose duty con- 

 sists in an annual or semi-annual inspection of the serum plants 

 to see if the federal requirements as to sanitation and equipment 

 are up to the standard. The actual and daily control of such 

 establishments rest with the local health authorities, on whose 

 officers devolves the inspection of all animals used in serum and 

 virus production and the passing upon of the finished products 

 before distribution. 



But considering the immense increase in the manufacture and 

 use of biological or serum-therapeutic products which has taken 

 place during the past few years, and keeping in mind that these 

 products deteriorate rapidly and therefore must be manufactured 

 in the neighborhood where they are to be used, it will be seen 

 that the federal authorities can only supervise such manufacture 

 in the most cursory manner and must of necessity leave all de- 

 tails to the local authorities. Development along these lines has, 

 however, been so rapid that it is a wonder that no greater 

 calamity has not already occurred, especially when considering 

 that we are dealing with poison of a most insidious nature, such 

 as bottled hog cholera virus. Little wonder, therefore, that Dr. 

 J. R. Mohler, assistant chief of the U. S. Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry, in reply to a direct question as to the advisability of the 

 use of the hog cholera virus in this Territory, should express 

 himself as absolutely opposed to it, unless the Territory was over- 



