344 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. ‘a 
merous examinations of diseased animals, frequent visits to affected herds, 
and fifty-three post-mortem examinations revealed the facts, and all that 
was necessary was to observe and take notes. But the principal object 
of the investigation was to devise means to prevent the immense losses 
caused every year by that most fatal disease, swine-plague. (I have 
adopted that name, because the disease, if anything, is a real plague; 
and the name is sufficiently comprehensive to cover the whole morbid 
process, and so simple that I have no doubt it will soon supercede, even 
among farmers, that very improper name of hog cholera.) 
To devise such means, a more reliable basis than a mere knowledge 
of the various features of the disease had to be gained. The real nature 
of the morbid process, and the true cause or causes, had to be ascertained. 
Above all, it had to be decided as to whether swine-plague is a con- 
tagious disease or not; and if contagious, the means by which the 
contagion is conveyed from one place and trom one animal to another; 
the manner in which it enters the animal organism, and, if possible, 
the nature of the same. This could not be done by simply visiting 
diseased herds and examining sick and dead animals; it was necessary 
to make experiments and to observe and to record the results. This 
I have done, and before I proceed any further it may be best to give, 
first, a condensed account of the experiments which I have made for 
the purpose of settling those points, so as to give others an opportu- 
nity to form an opinion as to the correctness of the conclusions I have 
arrived at. I will mention again, that in making those experiments, 
in noting the results, and in making the necessary and very numerous 
microscopical examinations, I have been ably assisted by my friends, 
Dr. IF. W. Prentice and Prof. T. J. Burrill, of the Ilinois Industrial 
University. I commenced those experiments after I had gained con- 
siderable information as to the various features of the disease during 
life and after death, and as to the conditions and surroundings under 
which the same makes its appearance. The first series of experiments 
has been made for the purpose of settling the question as to the con- 
tagiousness or non-contagiousness of Swine-Plague. This was the more 
necessary from the fact that those who had suffered severe losses were 
decidedly divided on that question. 
FIRST SERIES OF EXPERIMENTS. 
After encountering considerable difficulty in finding indubitably healthy 
pigs, belonging to a perfectly healthy herd, which had never been in con- 
tact with diseased animals, I sueceeded finally, on the 20th of August, in 
buying of Mr. Harris, south of Champaign, three Berkshire sow pigs 
about three and a half months old, perfectly healthy, and without any 
lesions whatever. I designated them as pigs Nos. 1, 2, and 3. Dr. 
Prentice, at the same time, had the kindness of placing at my disposi- 
tion two box-stalls in his veterinary hospital, a new building which had 
never been entered by any hog or pig. About one hundred and fifty 
yards east of the veterinary hospital building, on a piece of ground 
never trodden by hogs, as far as known, I built of new lumber a pen 
eight feet square. This pen I designated pen No. 1, and the box-stalls, 
which are twelve feet square, as pens Nos. 2 and 5 respectively. Pig 
No. 1 was put in pen No. 1, and pigs Nos. 2 and 3 together in pen No. 2. 
It may be well to state here that pen No. 1 having no floor, but rest- 
ing on the ground, was moved to another place (each time its own width) 
every other day, usually at noon, in order to preserve cleanliness, and 
pens Nos. 2 and 5 were cleaned and swept once a day, except where 
