DANDLING HOG CHOLEKA IN THE FIELD 191 



The Veterinarian's Charge for Serum and Its 

 Administration 



If a veterinarian expects to remain long in prac- 

 tice he must render service worth much more than 

 the charge he attaches to it, and the benefit derived 

 from his calls must be obvious to his clients. The 

 fact that immunization of hogs, especially large 

 herds in localities where hog cholera is prevalent, 

 results in a great and obvious saving to the 

 breeder has placed this phase of veterinary prac- 

 tice almost in a class by itself. We do not ac- 

 tually render a greater service in checking an out- 

 break of hog cholera than we do in eradicating 

 tuberculosis from a cattle breeder's herd, but hog 

 cholera is an acute and fatal disease and the 

 direct saving due to its control is far more appar- 

 ent to the breeder than some other services, 

 equally as valuable, that we render him. Because 

 of this fact, and because of the great demand that 

 has existed for the services for veterinarians in 

 immunizing swine, certain abuses in regard to 

 charges for serum administration have come to 

 light. Complaints have been leveled at a few 

 shortsighted and greedy individuals, but they have 

 reacted to the dicredit of the profession as a 

 whole. Especially when large numbers of hogs 

 are vaccinated in one day, when charge is made by 

 the head, and a profit greater than is fair is added 



