228 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



18,500 cattle at the same time, with 20 per cent, increase. Of sheep there were 

 about 2,500, with 50 per cent, increase. Or hogs there were about 14,000 last spring, 

 and an increase of 200 per cent, since, There were a few isolated cases of black- 

 leg reported in calves. 



POWESHIEK. Hog cholera has been in existence in this county since 1860. Some- 

 times the symptoms are similar to quinsy; sometimes vomiting and purging occurs, 

 and again inflammation of the brain is observed. Some think the disease is caused 

 by worms; whatever its cause is, it is contagious, so much so that chickens contract 

 the disease and die. The only successful treatment is to kill the diseased hogs and 

 bury them, and change the lot or pasture. 



RINGGOLD. Hog cholera made its appearance in this county in the year 1862, 

 and has prevailed since to some extent, some years being more prevalent than in 

 others. Previous to that time hogs were comparatively healthy. As to the advent 

 Of the disease, I do not know how it came to the State. It came from the east and 

 south. Hogs died hi the county east of where I lived (Henry County) one year be- 

 fore it reached this county, where I lived at that time. Previous to that time we 

 hardly ever heard of a hog dying. 



SAC. The disease known as hog cholera was raging in this county prior to 

 my settling in this part of the State, When, in February, 1876, 1 came to my pres- 

 ent place of residence, older settlers had already suffered losses therefrom. During 

 the last twelve years of my observation the disease has been more or less destruct- 

 ive in various sections of the county. In 1884 and 1886 it raged terribly in my near 

 vicinity and on my own premises. In 1884 I, and many in the southern part of the 

 county, lost respectively three-fifths, three-fourths, five-eighths, and eleven- twelfths 

 of our hogs, old ones as well as shoats. A few farmers lost even their last living 

 " corn-sliellers." In the central parts of our county it raged in that year just as 

 badly. Thus it has been going on at spells, jumping in certain sections, retracing 

 its path at another time and creating havoc over old ground again, whilst a few 

 exceptional localities have remained entirely free from said fiend. Since I know 

 but very little about veterinary surgery, I will not vouch that the diagnosis "which I 

 intend to give will be exactly correct. There are various symptoms of hog cholera: 

 First, hogs seem to catch bad colds; they generally stand with a round-up back, 

 and cough from three to seven minutes continuously in a loud, ringing sound, 

 something like whooping-cough. Their lungs become affected, and almost as light, 

 in proportion, as down feathers. They keep on losing flesh from five to twenty-one 

 days and then drop dead. Others seem all right but are very slow to rise from their 

 litter; they seem to be constipated, as all their excrements are coated with a film; 

 these have an excellent appetite for swill or water. Others have symptoms of 

 thick noses, sore eyes, dwindling-round walks (dizziness); others seem to ha vo "rip- 

 rap " quick consumption, as they die off in a few hours. All that have the disease 

 in a malignant type, in either shape or form, are almost surely doomed. Occa- 

 sionally hogs have the disease in a slight or milder form, where 50 to 75 per cent, 

 are apt to get over it all right. But if this milder form attacks sows during their 

 gestation the sows either slink their litters, or, if born alive, they will surely die 

 from weakness or inability to sustain life. In 1886 I learned the last statement from 

 observation, since from 180 pigs born dead or alive only one lived, and when it was 

 one year old it was yet a stunty, lean, and miserable being for its age. The cholera 

 is Yaging at present in the northwestern part of the county, and a certain gentle- 

 man has lost about all his hogs (200 head). In other sections we hear nowadays 

 of an exceptional appearance of the dreadful disease. 



SCOTT. Cholera among swine lias not prevailed to such an alarming extent this 

 year as during some preceding years. There are various opinions on the subject. 

 One of my assistant reporters claims cholera is brought on by continuing to pasture 

 on the same ground for an indefinite time, and that it would be beneficial to change 

 every two years. My opinion is that hogs, as a rule, are fed too much corn at 

 times and become constipated, after which they are attacked with cholera, and 

 when once it gets hold of a herd it becomes contagious; consequently the loss is 

 great. I think where the herd is large and the animals are kept in close colonies 

 the death rate is larger than when kept in smaller droves. I keep usually 20 to 30 

 head, and never lose an animal. They run on pasture and come to the pen for 

 slop. Another safeguard, in my opinion, is to keep hogs as much isolated from 

 poultry as possible, for where fowls die with cholera and are eaten by hogs the dis- 

 ease is transmitted to them. 



Sioux. Hog cholera did not appear in this county until about two years ago, 

 since when some animals have died each year, but not in great numbers. The older 

 settled vicinities seam the worse affected by it. This is a new county, most of the 

 settlement being within ten years, and many male hogs have been sliipped in for 

 breeding purposes. The disease may have been brought in this way, but I can not 



