DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 73 



]MEASURES TO AKREST AND EXTIRPATE THE DISEASE. 



To put a stop to tlie ravages of the fever concerted measures are 

 essential. One farmer may easily eradicate it from his own herds; but 

 so long as his neighbors continue to harbor it his stock is daily subjected 

 to the danger of renewed infection. His personal sacrifice is all in vain, 

 so long as "he is liable to have his herds infected by a chance visitor, a 

 wandering animal or bird, or even a favorable wind. What is true of 

 the individual farmer is equally true of the township, county, and State. 

 One may crush out the disease at a cost of immense effort and outlay 

 only to iind it reappearing the next day, as the result of carelessness on 

 the i^art of an adjoining or even distant State or district. In our East- 

 ern States this jdague is almost invariably the result of importation, and 

 though from the lack of pigs it never gains a wide prevalence, it suffi- 

 ciently illustrates how the disease is propagated in the West, where its 

 more extended ravages are liable to blind the eyes to the fact. To secure 

 a. complete or even j)artial immunity active measures must be taken 

 over the entire land, and while this cannot be done by States, districts, 

 counties, or even towns, separately, it will be rendered the more effectual 

 in the i)recise ratio that it is inaugurated as a uniform system over the 

 entire country, and under one central controlling authority. 



AYithout entering at this time into all the details of the necessary 

 restrictive measures, the following may be especially mentioned : lst..The 

 appointment of a local authority and inspector to carry out the measures 

 for the supj)ression of the disease. 2d. The injunction on all having the 

 ownership or care of hogs, and upon all who may be called upon to 

 advise concerning the same, or to treat them, to make known to such 

 local authority all cases of real or suspected hog fever, under a penalty 

 for every neglect of such injunction. 3d. The obligation of the local 

 autliority, under advice of a comi^etent veterinary inspector, to see to 

 the destruction of all pigs suffering from the plague, their deep burial 

 in a secluded place, and the tliorough disinfection of the premises, uten- 

 sils, and persons. 4th. The thorough seclusion of all domestic animals 

 til at have been in contact with the sick pigs, and in the case of sheep 

 and rabbits the destruction of the sick when this shall appear necessary. 

 />tli. Unless, where all the pigs in the infected herd have been destroyed, 

 the remainder should be placed on a register and examined daily by the 

 inspector, so that the sick may be taken out and slaughtered on the 

 appearance of the first signs of illness. 6th. Sheep and rabbits that 

 have been in contact with the sick herd should also be registered, and 

 any removal of such should be prohibited until one month after the last 

 sick animal shall have been disposed of. 7th. All animals and birds, 

 wild and tame, and all persons except those emi)loyed in the work, 

 should be most carefully excluded fi-om infected premises until these 

 have been disinfected and can be considered safe. 8th. TJie losses sus- 

 tained by the necessary slaughter of hogs should be made good to the 

 owner to the extent of not more than two-thirds of the real value as 

 assessed by competent and disinterested parties. 9th. Such reimburse- 

 ment sliould be forfeited when an owner fails to notify the proper 

 authorities of the existence of the disease, or to asgist in carrying out 

 the measures necessary for its suppression. 10th. A register sliould be 

 drawn u]) of all pigs present on larnis within a given area around the 

 infected herd — say, one mile — and no removal of such aniiiials should be 

 allowed until the disease has been definitely sui)])ressed, unless such 

 removal is made by special license granted by the local authority' after 

 they have assured themselves by the examination of au expert that the 



