METHODS OF USING ANTI-HOG-CHOLERA SERUM 145 



that. Often there is no change in the appetite 

 during this time, but if a few animals in a lot eat 

 scantily, the others gorge themselves on the sur- 

 plus thus rendered available, and a period of dis- 

 tress or dullness follows, during which the virus 

 may get in its work. A simple rule is to feed so 

 that the animals remain just a little hungry after 

 each meal, and to be prepared for a slight lagging 

 in appetite between the fifth and twelfth days fol- 

 lowing treatment. 



Methods of preventing ' i serum breaks ' ' are ob- 

 vious when the causes of these " breaks " are un- 

 derstood. Full doses of potent serum adminis- 

 tered with due regard for rapid absorption, and 

 proper caution in regard to treating hogs below 

 average in resistance are the two essential con- 

 siderations. 



Handling "serum breaks" involves first of all 

 informing the owner of the animals, before serum 

 is administered, that such "breaks" are possible 

 but by no means probable, and asking him to ob- 

 serve the herd carefully and report any sickness 

 that may appear during the three weeks following 

 treatment. Should a "break" occur prompt 

 measures are required. If only two or three hogs 

 out of a herd of considerable size appear dull, and 

 if these have sickened later than the twelfth or 

 fourteenth day following vaccination, it is well to 

 take temperatures on several animals in the herd. 



