120 DISEASES OF SW1>T:, AXD OTHER ANIMALS. 



from those of a neighbor, in an adjoining fiehl, and the latter not he 

 affected by it. No case of this kind was reported, "where a stream of 

 water led from the diseased herd to the opposite lot of animals, in which 

 the latter escaped ; which circumstance would indicate that while the 

 disease may not be strictly contagious it becomes infectious, and can be 

 transmitted by contact with diseased matter. Experimental operations 

 conducted with a view to ascertain this fact were wanting, because of 

 the lack of absolute knowledge that the animals operated upon would 

 not have had disease without the introduction of diseased matter by 

 inoculation; barring this doubt, the iutroduction of diseased matter into 

 . the system of a well animal produces the disease in four out of five 

 cases. It is a safe practice to separate the sick from the well animals at 

 the very first indication of approaching disease. The eatrag of the flesh 

 of the dead animals, dying of the disease, by those surviving, is a very 

 reprehensible practice, and should under no circumstance be allowed. 

 The dead should be speedily removed and buried or cremated. Some 

 farmers, however, claim that where they allowed the sick to eat the dead 

 the animals seemed to recover faster by the practice — an observation, if 

 correctly made, only demonstrating that the herd was suffering from 

 want of animal food to such an extent that that furnished them in a dis- 

 eased condition did them more good than harm. Those holding to the 

 theory of contagion generally agree in the iDeriod of incubation as rang- 

 ing from ten to twelve days. 



Mr. Wniiam B. Taylor, of Martinsville, Ind., a gentleman of long 

 experience as a feeder and packer, and an intelligent observer of the 

 disease, states that when a herd of diseased animals were turned in a 

 field with others not previously exposed, that the disease would almost 

 invariably run through the entire diseased herd before attacking the 

 others ; and Mr. Joseph Goss, of Gosport, Ind., a feeder and packer of 

 forty years' experience, and a most careful and intelligent observer, cor- 

 roborates the statement of Mr. Taylor. 



THE DISEASE AS APFECTING DIFFERENT BREEDS. 



This branch of the inquiry was forced ui)on our attention by certain 

 parties who claimed in behalf of certain breeds of swine a partial or 

 complete immunity from the disease. Unfortunately oiu- field for obser- 

 vation in this regard was not good, since all the animals observed were 

 grades in which the Poland-China and Berkshire blood largely pre- 

 dominated. The best information gained upon the subject was to the 

 effect that the breeds for which such immunity was claimed were those- 

 not in general use, and that the absence of loss from such breeds is due 

 to the small number of such animals existing in the diseased districts. 

 Such claims were made in behalf of the Chester AVhites and Jersey Reds. 

 We saw none of either of these breeds in our travels, either sick or well. 

 The latter breed may have a partial immunity from these considerations. 

 It is an Eastern bred animal, developed in a section where in-breeding, 

 close confinement, and over-feeding and monotonous diet are not so gen- 

 erally practiced as in the West, and that breed has, therefore, possibly 

 a better constitution with which to resist diseased tendency. 



EECURRENCE OF THE DISEASE. 



All experienced feeders agree in the opinion that animals having the 

 disease and recovering from it seldom have a second attack, and state 

 that in purchasing animals to feed preference is always given to those 



