400 REPOIiT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



woiild probably have recovered even if no metlicmes whatever had been 

 dsed. In this herd, therefore, the hyposulphite of soda probably failed 

 to do any good, although it seemed duriug the first week of the treat- 

 ment as if a slight improvement was observable, due, very likely, more 

 to a change of quarters, clean water, and clean food — in the pasture the 

 animals had access to a stagnant pool of water — than to the medicine. 

 Still, whenever mediciues are given, people, as a rule, are always inclined 

 to ascribe every change for the better to their use. 



2. Mr. GilchrisPs herd. — Mr. Gilchrist lives on a large farm, twelve or 

 thirteen miles from Oquawka, on the Warren County line. My first 

 visit to his place was on October 14. His herd consisted of over one 

 hundred head of hogs and shoats, of which about forty showed more or 

 less plain symptoms of disease. Several animals had died. I requested 

 a division into at least three different lots, which may be designated as 

 jSTos. 1, 15, and 3. Lot Xo. 1, it was agreed, should only contain such 

 animals as appeared to be perfectly healthy, and without any symptoms 

 of disease ; lot No. 2 was to be composed of such animals as did not ap- 

 pear to be perfectly healthy, but did not show any plain symptoms of 

 swine plague ; and lot No. 3 should include aU those animals evidently 

 sick. Lot No. 1, Mr. Gilchrist promised should be removed to a piece 

 of ground — a small field without any water — which had been planted to 

 corn, was free from any old straw or other rubbish which might possibly 

 harbor any disease-germs, and was to be plowed the next day. Lot No. 

 2 he promised to put in another uninfected yard, separate from the reg- 

 ular hog-lot or pasture ; and lot No. 3, it was agreed, should remain in 

 the old hog-yard, occupied so far by the whole herd. It was further 

 agreed that lot No. 1 should receive twice a day ten drops of pure car- 

 bolic acid in the water for drinking for 150 pounds of live weight, and 

 lots Nos. 2 and 3 each, three times a day, a teaspoonful of hyposulphite 

 of soda for every 150 pounds of live weight. Enough of each medicine 

 was left to last from three to four days. When I made my second visit, 

 on October 18, I found that only a part of the medicine, the carbolic 

 acid, which had been given to the whole herd, had been used, and that 

 no separation had yet been effected, because Mr. Gilchrist, on account of 

 sickness, had been unable to perfect the necessary arrangements. The 

 field or piece of ground intended for lot No. 1, however, had been plowed, 

 and was ready for the reception of the animals. The plan of separation 

 underwent a slight change as to lot No. 3, which it was thought best to 

 divide again by putting the most seriously affected animals, lot No. 4, 

 in a couple of open pens, situated in the barn-yard, and originally built 

 for hog-X)ens, but unoccupied for a long time, and by leaving in lot No. 

 3, in the old swine-yard, oiily such animals as were evidently, though not 

 dangerously, sick. It was further decided that lots Nos. 1 and 2 should 

 be treated with carbolic acid, and lots Nos. 3 and 4 with hyijosulphite 

 of soda. On the whole the herd was not any worse than on my first visit, 

 except that a few more animals were coughing. Only one animal had 

 died, and a post mortem examination made of this, but the result was not 

 very satisfactory on account of the high state of putrefaction. Another 

 pig, however, about five months old, was killed by bleeding for the pur- 

 pose of a post mortem examination. Eesult: Morbid changes (hepa- 

 tization) in the lungs, and enlargement of the lymphatic glands, as 

 usual ; a few ulcerous tumors in the intestines ; numerous entozoa (alive) 

 in the choledochus, and some dead worms in the intestines. Went again 

 to Mr. Gilchrist's on October 21 and 24, and found that all arrangements, 

 as agreed upon, had been carried out. Lot No. 1 was on the plowed 

 ground; lot No. 2 in another separate yard; lot No. 3 in the old hog- 



