152 EEPOET OF THE BUREAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



NEBRASKA. 



AN ACT to prevent the spread of hog cholera and other kindred diseases, and prevent traffic in ani- 

 mals dying from infectious or other diseases. 



Be it enacted by the legislature of the State of Nebrqska, That it shall be the duty 

 of the owners of swine or other domestic animals dying from cholera or other dis- 

 eases, within twenty-four hours after their death, to cause the carcasses of such 

 animals to be suitably buried or burned up, on the premises owned or occupied by 

 such person. 



SEC. 2. If the owner of any swine or other domestic animals dying from cholera 

 or other disease, or any other person shall sell or dispose of the carcass of such swine 

 or other domestic animals, to any person for the purpose of manufacturing the 

 same into soap or rendering the same into lard, or for other purposes, or if any per- 

 son shall buy, or otherwise obtain the carcass of any swine or other domestic ani- 

 mals, dying from cholera or other disease for manufacturing purposes as aforesaid, 

 or any other purpose except that of burial or burning, as provided in the preceding 

 section, every such person shall upon conviction be fined in any sum not less than 

 twenty-five dollars nor more than one hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not exceed- 

 ing six months. 



SEC. 3. Whereas an emergency exists, this act shall be in force and take effect 

 from and after its passage. 



Approved, March 4, 1885. 



These laws, although, riot sufficiently explicit, touch upon the most 

 important points, and are great strides in the right direction. We 

 would suggest laws embodying the three heads in their entirety as 

 given above under a, 6, and c, together with directions for their 

 proper execution. The disease spreading so easily and rapidly re- 

 quires great promptness of action and quite different rules from those 

 which must Be adopted in the suppression of glanders or tuberculosis, 

 for example. The difference is due to the nature of the specific mi- 

 crobe so unlike those causing the two diseases mentioned. 



It is not strange that so little attention has been paid to the re- 

 striction of this disease in the past, since legislators and boards of 

 health and State veterinarians have had no scientific basis upon which 

 to frame laws. Even now efforts are being made in various quarters 

 to controvert or openly deny the accuracy of the investigations and 

 results obtained by the Bureau, and throw the whole subject back 

 into the Qhaos in which it was but a few years ago. This must have 

 anything but a salutary effect upon those intrusted with the framing 

 and execution of specific laws for the protection of domesticated 

 animals. 



Having thus far dwelt upon the means which must be resorted to 

 to prevent the spread of the disease from one place to another, it be- 

 comes necessary to consider some of the measures that should be em- 

 ployed in checking it after it has once taken foothold in a herd. But 

 how are we to recognize the disease? To answer this question it may 

 be well to recapitulate briefly some of the more important features 

 of the malady in as simple language as possible. 



It is quite common for the disease to announce itself by a few sud- 

 den deaths. The stricken animals may seem well a day, perhaps 

 only a few hours, before death. In order to remove any doubts as to 

 the precise nature of the disease it is best to examine one or more of 

 the animals before burying or burning them. This should be done 

 in a secluded place which pigs can not reach and the ground thor- 

 oughly disinfected as will be described later. The disease in the sud- 

 den cases can be easily recognized. The spleen is as a rule very black 

 and enlarged. Spots of blood from the size of a pin's head to a quar- 

 ter inch or more will be seen in the fat under the skin on the intes- 



