164 DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 



kuowledge by whicli wo cau prevent its spread, iiuless the government 

 ■will do as England did with the cattle plague, kill every infected hog 

 and pay the owners a part of the loss, and thus stamp it out. Certain 

 it. is that some stringent measure should be used to ijrevent trans- 

 porting diseased animals. As long as railroads are allowed to ship, 

 or owners to sell, diseased animals, just so long will we have the disease 

 spreading over the country. The loss, starting fi-om one contaminated spot 

 in this country by transportation by rail of diseased hogs, has cost this 

 county this year already not less than seventy-five to one hundred 

 thousand dollars. Some place the figures much higher. The loss is not 

 only to the owners immediately, but in the futiu-e. When it shall become 

 universally known that diseased animals are being continually slaughtered 

 and packed for shipment, when Europe shall learn that we are sending 

 them cholera hog-meat to eat, then one of the greatest sources of rev- 

 enue to this country will be seriously damaged. It is a notorious fact 

 that the stock-yards in Chicago are full of diseased animals. Commis- 

 sion men say that they are selling that class of hogs for slaughter- 

 ing and packing, and think nothing of it. I know that in the yards in 

 this town hogs die from this disease, and as well hogs are put into the 

 yards preparatory for shipment, they will, of necessity, contract the mal- 

 ady. They are sent to market, and about the time they should be 

 slaughtered are taken sick. I know this is not a very jDleasant pictui-e 

 for those that like a steak of ham with eggs, but it is a true one, and 

 when Congress can only appropriate the paltry sum of ten thousand dol- 

 lars to aid in trying to stop this annual loss of twenty or thirty miUions 

 of dollars' worth of property, I want every Congressman to just reflect 

 that almost everything he eats has a little lard in it, and that every time 

 he calls for ham he may be eating a piece of cholera hog. I do not feel 

 competent to present this subject in the light it ought and deserves to 

 be presented. If we wish to preserve this industry the matter must be 

 grappled with vigorously and with no stinted hand, and prosecuted 

 until the last vestige of this disease is swept from this country. 



I have used by way of experiment nearly all the articles recommended 

 in your circular, but the time of observation is so limited I cannot yet 

 report results that would be of any ijractical information to the govern- 

 ment. Owners of hogs were willing to iiay the expense of medicines 

 themselves, and I have to thank those gentlemen who have kindly and 

 earnestly seconded my efibrts to arrest the disease, and at the same time 

 try to obtain information in regard to this terrible scourge. In simi- 

 ming up I do not deem it necessary to give a history of each individual 

 herd that I have seen, as those mentioned are tyj^es of them all. 



As to treatment, I am led to the conclusion that the use of disinfect- 

 ants offers the best field for success. The use of turpentine for the cough 

 acts better than anything I have tried, and when given early, I think, 

 very much mitigates the severity of the disease. A mild laxative like 

 sulphur also acts well,- besides, it has the additional advantage of being- 

 destructive to low forms of organisms. Alkalies during the attack are 

 certainly beneficial. Frequent changing of the location of the herd and 

 stamping out every sick pig will, in the end, save money to the owners. 



I hope, now a beginning has been made, that Congressmen will see the 

 importance and real necessity of following up this small beginning until 

 it is thoroughly ascertained what must be done. If it proves, like most 

 contagious diseases, largely uncontrollable after the animal has once 

 been attacked, and must have its own run, then we must tiu-n oui" at- 

 tention to eradicating the plague by more exi)cnsive and radical means. 



Such legislation in regard to transporting diseased auiuials, or the 



