REPORT OP THE BUKEAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 157 



time be given, since they gradually die in the soil and water, as our 

 experiments have shown. A period of from six to nine months after 

 all animals have been removed will be, in general, sufficient to purify 

 the soil of these disease germs. In fact, the natural spontaneous dis- 

 infection is very likely accomplished in many cases in from three to 

 four months, but it would not be safe to rely upon this. 



TREATMENT OP HOG CHOLERA. 



Upon this subject very little should be said, for the reason that 

 diseased animals are a source of poison and a menace to healthy ani- 

 mals, and should be destroyed. Moreover, treatment is exceedingly 

 unsatisfactory, as the disease either terminates fatally, whatever rem- 

 edies are used, or makes the animal useless if it should recover. We 

 therefore urgently recommend slaughter of the sick and thorough 

 disinfection as the safest and most economical treatment in the end. 



Treatment, however, is resorted to by a large number of owners 

 of swine. The number of specifics, so called, which are being adver- 

 tised is legion. We have tried some of the best recommended and 

 found them of no avail. Nor is there any " specific" known in the 

 range of veterinary or human medicine that will cura diphtheritic 

 and ulcerative disease of the large bowels except time, combined with 

 careful dieting, rest, and a few palliatives to relieve pain. It is im- 

 possible to carry out this treatment on swine. The success frequently 

 reported with specifics in hog cholera is very probably due to the fact 

 that the treatment is usually adopted when the acute outbreak is over 

 and the plague has assumed a chronic character. The affected swine 

 linger for a time with very slight symptoms of disease, and this change 

 is credited to the "specific" employed. 



Remembering that the severest injury is done to the walls of the 

 large intestines in this disease, we regarded it important to determine 

 what medicine would give a prompt and copious evacuation of the 

 bowels in the very beginning of the disease. Various medicines were 

 tried by Dr. Kilborne, at the Experiment Station, among others the 

 following: 



(1) Calomel and jalap. February 20, 1888, to No. 463, 30 grains calomel; No. 467, 

 23 grains jalap; No, 468, 30 grains each of calomel and jalap. February 21, same 

 dose given again to Nos. 463 and 468. No result. 



(2) Calomel. March 7, to Nos. 441 and 442, each 1 dram of dry calomel. March 

 8, to 441, same dose mixed with castor-oil; to 442, about !- drams with castor-oil. 



Result: No. 441 was freely purged after second dose, continuing for twenty to 

 twenty-three hours. No. 442 was freely purged after sixteen hoirs, continuing 

 sixteen to twenty hours, when it died. At autopsy were found intense inflamma- 

 tion of stomach ; superficial necrosis of the mucosa of large intestine, with deep red- 

 dening resembling hog cholera. No bacteria found in cultures from spleen. This 

 inflammation was no doubt due to the calomel. 



(3) Calomel. March 8, Nos. 463 and 468 received each 1 dram of calomel in 2 drams 

 of castor-oil. No. 468 was purged freely in twenty hours, continuing thirty-six 

 hours. No. 463 was purged in sixteen hours, and made ill for several days. 



(4) Epsom salts. Nos. 403 and 405 (weight, 50 pounds) received each 1 ounce. 

 Bowels slightly relaxed for one or two passages. Nos. 339 and 377 (weight, 50 

 pounds) received each 2 ounces in water. No. 339 was purged and made slightly ill. 

 No effect on 377, 



(5) Barbadoes aloes. Nos. 402 and 404 (weight, 50 pounds) received half a dram 

 each. No effect. Nos. 372 and 380 (weight, 65 pounds) received each 2 drains, 

 mixed in molasses. No effect. The same animals, five days later, received each 4 

 drams with molasses. No effect, except discoloration of feces. 



(6) Castor oil and turpentine. Nos. 387 and 388 (weight, 50 to 60 pounds) received 

 each 1^- ounces castor-oil and one-sixth ounce turpentine. No effect. No. 387 re- 

 ceived, five days later, 2 ounces oil and one-sixth ounce turpentine. No. 388 re- 

 ceived, five days later, 2 ounces oil and one-third ounce turpentine. No effect. 



