14 DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



oases as cited in the books, and used tbo remedies as suggested, with the ordinary x^er 

 centa^e of failure and success. 



Cattle. — We can almost say our cattle are free from disease. We give them no care 

 at all, even in winter, and what few die is the result of old age or starvation. The 

 same may be said as regards 8heei». There are but few in the county, and they take 

 care of themselves. 



Hogs. — Cliolera, as we know it, is the disease that promises to make the raising of 

 pork dililicult in this country. The animal is taken with vomiting and running off of 

 the bowels, no disposition to eat, geneial languor and listlessnesN. Of The old (one 

 year and ever) affected, 35 per cent, die ; of the young pigs and shoats, % por cent. die. 

 I do not think that the disease, once in the system of the boar or sow, ever leaves it 

 entirely ; for upon the sow having pigs again she will either have very few, or what she 

 does have will soon die with this cholera. 



Remedies. — 1st. Put a small quantity of spirits of turpentine on the corn or in their 

 feed three times each week or oftener, as it will do no liarm. 2d. Feed all the slops and 

 bwill-feed you can, in which put saltpeter, red pi'i)per, and salt. 3d. Keep salt at all 

 times where the hogs can get all they want, and, by the way, keep it where all the 

 animals can get at it at all times. 



This dreadful disease was almost unknown in the days of our forefathers, and I have 

 almost arrived at the conclusion that the raising of cotton has bred it. It is known 

 that the eating of cotton-seed by hogs while tlie seed are in the process of fertuenta- 

 tiou will certainly kill them; and this, in my opinion, has brouglit a';out the disease. 

 But the question is asked, " How does the cholera get up in Iowa and th-3 Northern 

 States, where thej' rai&e no cotton ? " They buy the oil-cake, which is made of cotton- 

 seed, and feed it to their hogs. A small percentage may die from eating poisonous 

 mushrooms, but I do not believe that many die from that cause. On one of my plan- 

 tations, on which I have raised agreat number of hogs, I never knew a case of cholera, , 

 or any disease, until this year, when I lost between fifty and sixty pigs. The reason 

 was this: My suporiuteudent had made a compost-he ip in which he had put a large 

 IJerceutage of cotton-seed, and the hogs had free access to it. So sooa as the se^^d com - 

 menced to tot, the hogs eating them were taken with the cholera. If the farmers of 

 the North will keep their hogs from cotton-seed and oil-cake, my word for it, they will 

 never be troubled with cholera. 



Fowls. — We denominate the main disease with them here " cholera." The fowl droops 

 for a short time, and then commence spasms, from which they soon die. They are 

 found dead under the roost and about the yard. I think this disease is partially due 

 to inattention. The loss from cholera is about 5 jier cent. For a remedy, feed them 

 on small grain in moderate quantities. Mix in dough and feed once a week, or as the 

 flock seems to need it, alum, red pepper, onions, and coppt^ras. Keep marl or carbo- 

 nate of lime where they can get it, and they will eat as they need it. Turkeys, ducks, 

 geese, and peacocks are quite healthy, and I never knew one diseased. 



Mr. GEORaE S. Selvidge, Wheatland, Mo. says : 



Before proceeding to answer the interrogatories contained in your favor of the 24th 

 ultimo, permit me to urge upon Congress, through your department, the absolute 

 necessity of making such appropriations as will be required to meet the expenses of an 

 investigation into the causes of the various diseases affecting farm-animals. 



Horses are very healthy in this locality ; no epidemic or contagion since the epizootic 

 in 1872. 



Since the passage of State laws prohibiting the grazing of Texas cattle on the 

 j)rairies, mature cattle have been healthy. Calves are often affected with a disease 

 known as " black-leg." About 90 per cent, of those attacked die. The symptoms are 

 lameness in one leg (more generally, I believe, the right forward leg), ears pitched 

 forward, and nose dry. This condition lasts from ten to thirty-six hours, when one in 

 ten will probably begin to recover; the other nine, of course, die. I have tried blood- 

 letting and active cathartics without effect. I have not known any other remedies 

 tried. A rather remarkable feature of this disease is that the fat, well-fed calves are 

 generally the tirst attacked ; and if any escape, it is the lean ones. This feature of the 

 disease has led some breeders to adopt as a pre\ entive a seaton passed through the 

 loose skin on the under side of the neck, b^' which a slight suppuration is kept up. 

 Those who have tried it claim that this is an absolute preventive. 



Shee]> are htalthy here, with the exception of an occasional case of scab or foot-rot, 

 diseases too well known to require mention. 



Under the head of diseases among hogs many pages might be written. In 1876 our 

 farmers lost heavily, probably one-fourth of what should have been their income for 

 the year. Some lost all, after feeding out the enormous crop of ld75. 



The disease is what is generally known as hog-cholera. It presents itself in three 

 disiiuct forms: One in vomiting and purging, presenting something of the symptoms 



