DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. AZY 
from those of a neighbor, in an adjoining field, and the latter not be 
affected by it. No case of this kind was reported, where a stream of 
water led from the diseased herd to the oppesite lot of animals, in which 
the latter escaped; which circumstance would indicate that while the 
disease may not be strictly contagious it becomes infectious, and can be 
transmitted by contact with diseased matter. Experimental operations 
conducted with a view to ascertain this fact were wanting, because of 
the lack of absolute knowledge that the animals operated upon would 
- not have had disease without the introduction of diseased matter by 
inoculation; barring this doubt, the introduction of diseased matter into 
the system of a well animal produces the disease in four out of five 
cases. It is a safe practice to separate the sick from the well animals at 
the very first indication of approaching disease. The eating of the flesh 
of the dead animals, dying of the disease, by those surviving, is a very 
reprehensible practice, and should under no circumstance be allowed. 
‘The dead should be speedily removed and buried or cremated. Some 
farmers, however, claim that where they allowed the sick to eat the dead 
the animals seemed to recover faster by the practice—an observation, if 
correctly made, only demonstrating that the herd was suffering from 
want of animal food to such an extent that that furnished them in a dis- 
eased condition did them more good than harm. Those holding to the 
theory of contagion generally agree in the period of incubation as rang- 
ing from ten to twelve days. 
Mr. William B. Taylor, of Martinsviile, Ind., a gentleman of long 
experience as a feeder and packer, and an intelligent observer of the 
disease, states that when a herd of diseased animals were turned in a 
field with others not previously exposed, that the disease would almost 
invariably run through the entire diseased herd before attacking the 
others; and Mr. Joseph Goss, of Gosport, Ind., a feeder and packer of 
forty years’ experience, and a most careful and intelligent observer, cor- 
roborates the statement of Mr. Taylor. 
THE DISEASE AS AFFECTING DIFFERENT BREEDS. 
This branch of the inquiry was forced upon our attention by certain 
parties who claimed in behalf of certain breeds of swine a partial or 
complete immunity from the disease. Unfortunately our field tor obser- 
vation in this regard was not good, since all the animals observed were 
grades in which the Poland-China and Berkshire blood largely pre- 
dominated. The best information gained upon the subject was to the 
efiect that the breeds for which such immunity was claimed were those 
not in general use, and that the absence of loss from such breeds is due 
to the small number of such animals existing in the diseased districts. 
Such claims were made in behalf of the Chester Whites and Jersey Reds. 
We saw none of either of these breeds in our travels, either sick or well. 
The latter breed may have a partial immunity from these considerations. 
It is an Eastern bred animal, developed in a section where in-breeding, 
close confinement, and over-feeding and monotonous diet are not so gen- 
erally practiced as in the West, and that breed has, therefore, possibly 
a better constitution with which to resist diseased tendency. 
RECURRENCE OF THE DISEASE. 
All experienced feeders agree in the opinion that animals having the 
disease and recovering from it seldom have a second attack, and state 
that in purchasing animals to feed preference is always given to thoée 
