32 DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



eat, appears restless, and after the first day becomes stupid and inclined, when let 

 alone, to lie in its bed; is feverish, aud appears to be afflicted in much the same way 

 as a human being suft'ering with typlioid fever. About one-half of those affected 

 die. The others improve very rapidly after the disease is worn out, which takes about 

 two weeks. Tliere is no known remedy. Some practice feeding fresh meat, which, in 

 a few cases, is reported as having proved beneficial. A change of location has, in 

 nearly every instance, produced a cure. I have, for the past teu years, been surrounded 

 on all sides by the disease, yet have had no case of this or other maladies among my 

 hogs. I attribute this to the fact that my hogs have had good care and plenty to eat, 

 a clean bed and large range, and pure water to diiuk, witli an abundauca of skim-milk 

 and other refuse n-om the dairy, together with a feed of refuse from the slaughter- 

 house once a month. 



Mr. M. W. WiLMETH, McKinuey, Collier County, Texas, says : 



Among horses, we have all the old diseases known to farriers, such as botts, colic, 

 &c. ; but our most fatal local disease is known as blind staggers. An attack of this 

 disease, on an average, lasts about twelve hours. The animals, so far as my observa- 

 tion enables me to judge, always die of the disease. Boring into the lower part of the ■ 

 forehead, between the eyes, has been tried, but without success. All other remedies 

 have alike proved abortive. Spanish fever Jalso prevails at times. The animal has fever, 

 and is much affected in the loins ; lingers sometimes months before dying. In some 

 cases the disease is cured by bathing the loins in strong brine. This disease is not so 

 common as formerly. 



We have, among cattle, the common diseases known as bloody and dry murrain, both 

 of which may be cured by purging the animal with rhubarb. This disease proves very 

 fatal unless attended to in time, say within twenty-four hours after the attack. We 

 have, also, what is known as Spanish fever. The animal is taken with a high fever, is 

 much affected in the loins, and has short breathing. Cured by using a strong tea made 

 of Jamestown weed, either of the seeds or leaves, and drenching the animal with a 

 quart. 



We have had cholera here recently among our hogs. It is a thing of late date with us, 

 and is always fatal, as no cure has as yet beeu discovered. We also have among our 

 hogs a kiud of lung fever, which is very destructive. It makes its attack like Spanish 

 fever among horses and cattle. Some cases have been cured by the use of calomel 

 and arsenic. 



Among fowls we also have what is known as cholera, though this name seems to be 

 applied to all diseases among chickens. Alum, cojiperas, &c., are used with some 

 effect. 



Mr. Samuel Warmoth, Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana, says : 



The only animals affected with diseases in this county this year, or for several years 

 past, are the hogs. The disease is known as cholera, aud has this year carried off at least 

 one-half the hogs in the county. Young pigs are generally the tirst to be attacked, aud 

 very often they all die. Then it attacks the older hogs, and, as a rule, half of them 

 die — sometimes more and sometimes less. 



The disease does not act the same in every case. Some of them are severely purged 

 and lose their appetites aud refuse to eat. Some die suddenly, while others will live 

 for weeks moping about without eating anything. Some of tiiem will lose a portion 

 of their flesh, which falls off the bones while they are yet alive. 



Farmers have different ways of treating the disease, but I believe there is no cure 

 after the malady has passed a certain stage. I thiuk it is brought on by worms, aud 

 therefore, if the worms could be kei)t oat of the liogs they would not be liable to the 

 disease. Salt and hickory ashes, with sulphur and copperas, will be found good pre- 

 ventives. Any one who will find a sure cure or preveutive will deserve the thanks of 

 the American people. 



Mr. J. D. McClanahan, Falmouth, rentUeton County, Kentucky, says : 



The best preventive that I have tried for hog cholera is soda-ash and barilla. I give 

 a tablespoonful of this mixture to every six hogs. The way to prepare the mixture is 

 to put the drugs in a kettle, add two or three gallons of water, heat until the medicine 

 is dissolved, then make bran mash with the water. One dose a week is sufficient to keep 

 hogs in a healthy condition ; however, last fall I found it necessary to give my fatten- 

 ing-hogs a feed of this kind every day, for the reason that some of them showed con- 

 tinued symptoms of disease. I lost but oue out of thirty-three, and that oue died on 

 the same day that I put them up to fatten. 



