EEPOET OF THE BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTEY. 301 



sheep are raised in this county, which are shipped when quite young to the New 

 York markets. 



KANAWHA. Previous to the year 1880 hogs were remarkably healthy in this 

 county. In that year, and also in 1883-'85-'87, the so-called hog cholera made sad 

 havoc among the hogs, especially among fat hogs. The disease came like a blight, 

 without any apparent cause. Hogs that had been kept upon good pasture and well 

 cared for, and having no opportunity to get the disease from outside, were equally 

 diseased. Young hogs once attacked by the disease and recovering are never again 

 liable to take the malady. Dr. Williani Mairs, who lives in the northwest end of 

 our county, writes me that about 50 fat hogs died in his section this fall from the 

 so-called cholera. But the doctor says the disease is not and never was the cholera, 

 but is a brain and throat trouble. Aside from the 50 deaths reported by Dr. Mairs, 

 I hear of no disease among hogs in my county. It was formerly thought that the 

 free use of apples would prevent the disease, but my hogs died in the orchard last 

 year while the ground was covered with fruit. 



McDowELL. There has been but little hog cholera in this county in the last year. 

 I am unable to ascertain the exact year of the first appearance of the disease, but 

 I believe about ten years ago. From what I can ascertain hogs were generally 

 healthy before that time. 



MARSHALL. I am proud to say that we have had no hog cholera in our county 

 for several years past. Hogs are fed on soft food, and run in fields of clover. Farm 

 animals throughout the county are exempt from disease. 



MINERAL. Hog cholera first made its appearance in this county about fifteen or 

 twenty years ago. It seldom, if ever, extends all over a county in one year, but 

 usually confines its ravages to one or two districts the next year; but sometimes, 

 when there is anything left for it to feed upon, remains two or three years in the 

 same district. Previous to its appearance here there was seldom any loss by dis- 

 ease among swine. By what means, or from what cause it was first introduced, is 

 still as great a mystery as at first. There had been no cases in my immediate neigh- 

 borhood for several years, until last fall, when a drove from Hardy, an adjoining 

 county where the disease prevailed, passed through here, and soon after it com- 

 menced its ravages here among several herds; but whether introduced or not by 

 this drove seems uncertain, as the same drove had passed here without communi- 

 cating the disease so far as known. No preventive or remedy for this disease is 

 known, though it is supposed by some that hogs raised principally on grass suffer 

 less from it, and are less liable to its attacks. My experience, however, does not 

 corroborate this opinion. 



MONONGALIA. I don't think there has been a death from cholera among hogs in 

 this county. 



MORGAN. The introduction of hog cholerarin this county occurred in 1862. Pre- 

 vious to that time hogs were healthy as far as I can learn. As to the cause of the 

 disease I know nothing. Calomel, alum, and poke-root have been used to good effect 

 at times by putting into swill; but I have never found a sure remedy or preventive 

 for the disease. 



NICHOLAS. We have had no cholera among our hogs for some years past to 

 amount to anything. In some localities, perhaps, some few hogs would die with it, 

 but not in sufficient numbers to attract serious attention. 



OHIO. I am pleased to state that hog cholera has been entirely stamped out of 

 this county. So far as my inquiries have extended there has not been a single case 

 this season. All the disease we have had among this class of animals was due to poor 

 sanitary conditions. As to the introduction of the disease, I would say that in 1880 a 

 car-load of Western hogs was shipped into this county for feeding purposes, which 

 proved to be affected with the disease. These were the first well-defined cases of the 

 disease known here. There has been more or less every year since until this year. 

 Horses have been healthy. The usual amount of foot-rot has prevailed among 

 sheep.' This disease is not usually fatal, but lowers the market value of the stock 

 50 per cent. There has been an unusual fatality attending farrowing sows this fall. 

 In some cases they have lost all their pigs. We attribute this loss to the fact that 

 the sows were allowed to run to acorns, which were very abundant this year. 



RITCHIE. There has been no hog cholera in this county for several years past, 

 and then it was brought in with a lot of hogs purchased somewhere in Ohio. Since 

 that time the county has not been revisited by it. 



ROANE. Horses, cattle, and sheep have been nearly free from any disease during 

 the year. Hogs in some districts have been diseased with what the people call chol- 

 era. The symptoms vary greatly. Sometimes the ear is affected and they become 

 deaf. At other times they become lame, and sometimes the throat becomes sore, 

 etc. 



SUMMERS. Hog cholera first made its appearance in or about the year 1857. 

 Every year more or less of this disease occurs. This year more hogs have died from 



