PREVENTIVE MEDICINE 311 



on such material as the vegetations on the cardiac valves, artificial 

 culture, c. It is nevertheless the cause of considerable loss to 

 pig owners, and as the Chief Veterinary Officer, Board of Agricul- 

 ture, in his report for 1914 points out, " the loss from swine 

 erysipelas is, in a sense, often much greater than from swine fever, 

 for the mortality in the latter disease is usually among the young 

 pigs, while the highest mortality in the former disease is usually 

 among the fatting or fat pigs, upon which a considerable amount 

 of food-stuffs has been expended." 



The disease is widespread in Great Britain, " extending from the 

 Orkneys, north, to Cornwall, south, Cardigan, west, and Norfolk 

 in the east."* Swine erysipelas is only brought to the notice of 

 the Board of Agriculture through its being reported for swine fever, 

 so that the returns are not complete. From available reports the 

 Chief Veterinary Officer, Board of Agriculture, compiled a table 

 showing its distribution and the ratio of outbreaks to pig population, 

 and from the 1914 report the following have been selected : 



Ratio. 



1 in 105,220 

 1 in 589 

 1 in 337 

 1 in 12,818 



Nil 



1 in 3,260 

 1 in 117 

 1 in 16,718 



Outbreaks, of which there were 2892 in 1914, were reported in 

 67 counties. It is especially prevalent in the eastern counties, and 

 the Chief Veterinary Officer, Board of Agriculture, suggests as a 

 reason for this that the soil there is suitable for the bacillus, and 

 that it can remain virulent a long time outside the bodies of 

 animals. 



The usual ages at which pigs are attacked are from 3 to 12 

 months, though older pigs are sometimes affected. Concerning the 

 age incidence, valuable statistics are to hand in the reports of the 

 Chief Veterinary Officer. The table given for 1914, which is very 

 similar to those of 1913 and 1915, is here given in toto. 



* Annual Report, C.V.O., Bd. of Agric., 1913. 



