256 EEPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL IKDUSTKY. 



extent every year since. Hogs previous to that year were healthy. Hogs that ran 

 at large are the first to be affected. It appears to be propagated by contagion, as 

 hogs kept in inclosures do not have it. 



OZARK. Hog cholera was unknown in this county until ten years ago. No 

 remedy has ever been found for the disease. 



PEMISCOT. This is an off year for hog cholera. Our hogs are reported healthy 

 from all parts of the county. Cholera generally strikes our county about once in 

 three years. It is the prevailing opinion among our farmers that worms produce 

 the disease we call hog cholera. I believe if farmers would physic their hogs in the 

 fall and spring of the year it would prevent in a great measure the disease that 

 kills so many. Give heavy doses of calomel, then spirits of turpentine in slop, and 

 if the hogs are affected with worms it will clean them out. If not affected the 

 medicine will do the animals no damage. The following preventive of cholera is 

 used by many with success, viz.: One tablespoonful each of black antimony, 

 sulphur, and sulphate of iron, mixed with a handful of slaked lime. This is a dose 

 for twelve hogs, given in slop in the fall and spring of the year. It will not cure 

 the animal after the disease is fastened on him, but is a preventive. 



PERRY. My experience with hog cholera is that it comes and goes periodically. 

 At this time there is cholera in some localities, but it is not so general as it has 

 been, as but few hogs comparatively have been lost in this part of the county. It 

 seems to be more fatal in the bottom lands, along water-courses, and especially in 

 Bois Brule bottom, along the Mississippi River. Other stock seems to be doing re- 

 markably well, considering the protracted drought in the fall. Our pastures were 

 played out when the rain came, and our stock was rather thin to commence the 

 winter, but so far seem to be doing very well. Some distemper prevails among 

 young horses, but the disease does not appear to be very fatal. 



PLATTE. We have had no contagious diseases among horses, cattle, or sheep. 

 About 30 per cent, of the hogs have been infected with what we call hog cholera, of 

 which nineteen-twentieths have died. The first appearance of the disease was in 

 1861. Up to that time hogs were remarkably healthy. Every disease the hogs have 

 is called cholera here. Sometimes it is diarrhea; at other times the animals are 

 constipated, and always lousy. I think a small microbe throughout the entire hog 

 is the cause of the disease, call it by whatever name you may. 



PUTNAM. The so-called hog cholera appeared here some twelve or fifteen years 

 ago. Previous to that time hogs were comparatively healthy. In some respects the 

 disease seems to be quite mysterious. The symptoms are not always uniform. 

 While some have diarrhea others are constipated. Some die within a few hours or 

 days; others linger for weeks and then die, while a small portion recover. Its 

 mode of introduction is also mysterious. No remedy has as yet been discovered. 

 Some have tried salt, charcoal, sulphur, and various other things, but all to no 

 purpose. For the last year or two it has not been so bad as for some years previous. 



RANDOLPH. There has been less hog cholera in this county during the last year 

 than usual, supposed to be from the fact that swine are not now allowed to run at 

 large. No cure for the disease has yet become known here. 



SALINE. According to the best of my reco lection, the first cases of hog cholera 

 made their appearance in our county about thirty years ago. Then it was in cer- 

 tain localities, but in a short time spread rapidly over our county, and soon became 

 general. On an average this loss per annum has been about 22 per cent, for the last 

 twenty years. Cholera can be propagated in many ways by contact in herds, 

 by the excrements, by the matter of dead hogs being carried from one section to 

 another by dogs, birds of prey, etc., even by saliva, through fences, by passing 

 droves along the road. Some lots of hogs were brought into my section from 

 Kansas last summer, and the loss was about 75 to 90 per cent. Native hogs have 

 been comparatively free from cholera since last spring. During the drought this 

 fall in Kansas a great many hogs were brought from there into this county, and 

 nearly all died of the cholera. Some Texas fever in certain localities, caused by 

 several lots of Texas cattle that were brought into this county last summer. Horses 

 comparatively healthy, except distemper among young colts. 



ST. CHARLES. Hog cholera has been prevalent in this county for twenty years or 

 more. The disease varies greatly in different localities, and symptoms are widely 

 different. Sometimes the animals have diarrhea; sometimes they are costive; 

 again they may have thumps, and again what is pronounced lung fever. In most 

 cases it has a quick fatality. When they have the fever they generally linger sev- 

 eral weeks, and at least one-third of this class recover. As far as my information 

 goes, there has never been a scientific or careful examination made as to the cause 

 and character of the disease as it prevails in this county. 



ST. CLAIR. Hog cholera has been known here for about ten years. We had 

 very little disease among hogs previous to that time. A few hogs died of the mange. 



