428 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
grown with weeds, were the most unhealthy; and under these circum- 
stances the greatest amount of disease was observed. It is at this 
particular season of the year that hogs are most neglected. Having been 
turned out during the summer months to take care of themselves, while 
the grass is green and filled with nutritious qualities, they thrive and 
do well; but, at the approach of the dry season, green grass gives place 
to that which is mature and dry, in which state it is indigestible and 
constipating. The water at this particular season fails. It is also at 
this season that swine keep their skin clothed with mud as a protection 
against flies, seriously interfering with its healthy functions as auxiliary 
to the lungs and other depurating organs of the body. ‘This is the 
season when the cold nights precipitate heavy dews, and while run- 
ning through the grass and weeds, during the nights and early morn- 
ing hours, the animals become wet and cold, to be dried off and scorched 
in heat and dust at the returning noonday. During the nights they 
are chilled, sending the blood from the surface to the internal organs 
of the body, and breathe a damp, cold atmosphere; during the day 
they are overcome with enervating heat, and breathe a dry atmosphere, 
loaded with dust and dry particles of decaying vegetation. Is not this 
an array of existing circumstances well calculated to excite catarrhal 
affections, and are not these conditions as universally present over a 
large area of country as the disease itself? It may be objected that the 
disease sometimes prevails where the conditions mentioned are wanting. 
That it does prevail in some instances where there is no visible cause 
for its production is true, but the instances are of rare occurrence. AS 
before stated, it prevails again in an active and fatal form during 
the months of February and March. This is the season when bronchial 
and lung diseases prevail among the human family, due to the atmos- 
pherical changes, and exposure to the damp earth then in a state of 
alternate freezing and thawing. Swine are similarly affected during 
that period of the year from the same cause; and being more generally 
exposed to these causes than the human family, are more liable to such 
diseases in their epidemic form. The principal objection to this rational 
theory of the cause of the disease is that it is found to exist at other 
seasons of the year than those mentioned, and under circumstances 
where almost all the conditions named are wanting. In a few instances . 
we observed it where there was no visible want of first-class care in the 
management of the swine as to food, water, cleanliness, and shelter, and 
when they were running on clean blue-grass pastures well shaded and 
watered; but the prevalence of the disease under such circumstances 
was exceedingly rare. It is the general opinion among farmers that the 
disease is due to some specific poison, and is contagious in character. 
This opinion was generaliy entertained by the farmers of Putnam 
county, where the disease prevailed this season for the first time as a 
general and widespread epidemic. Many claimed that the disease was 
communicated by a lot of diseased swine driven through that county 
from the county of Boone; but many cases occurred on farms entirely 
off the route traveled by the diseased animals, and entirely isolated 
from public highways, and upon which no new or strange animals had 
been introduced by purchase or otherwise. <A toli-gate keeper living 
near the village of Bainbridge, in that county, had a few swine running 
at large, and coming in close contact with all the animals driven over 
the road, and still they had escaped the disease; while those occupying 
inelosures by the roadside generally had it. Numerous instances were 
reported by reliable and intelligent men, where the disease prevailed 
wpon one farm with but a partition fence separating the sick animals 
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