10 DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 

 Mr. J. B. Eeid, Macon, Teun., says : 



I will say here that no one in this locality pretends to know the causes of the vari- 

 ous diseases which from time to time afflict our farm-stock. Intelligent planters seem 

 to think there is no cure for any of them, and it would seem true, as they invariahly 

 prove fatal. Within a radius of a half mile of this little villajje twenty head of milch 

 cows have died in the last three or four months. The disease proved fatal in every in- 

 stance. The government will act with wisdom in making an eUbrt to stay these dis- 

 eases, as the loss annually is immense. 



Dr. J. E. WooLFOLK, writing from the same place, says : 



In answer to your inquiry, "What is the nature of the disease which now prevails 

 among the hogs of your community ?" I must say that from the verj' casual examina- 

 tion I made of one that died of the disease, I am not prepared to give a satisfactory di- 

 agnosis, and will only say that I found complete engorgement of the liver, with en- 

 largement of the same. The lungs presented no indications of disease, nor did the 

 intestines. There was a collection of serum or bloody water in the pericardium or 

 investing membrane of the heart. There were no indications whatever of inllamma- 

 torj- action on any of the abdominal or thoracic viscera, except the liver. There was 

 positive passive congestion of the capillary circulation generally, which I have reason 

 to believe was not stasis anajmia, as might reasonably be supposed,. It is the same 

 disease which prevailed to such a destructive extent among the hogs in this country 

 in the year 1868. From what I can learn the same may be said iu relation to the dis- 

 ease among cows. There is an appearance of congestion of the capillaries; they are 

 also infested with ticks. Some of the farmers say it is bloody murrain, while others 

 believe it to be dry murrain. 



Mr. H. Sevison, Constantino, Mich., says: 



We have had no diseases among horses, cattle, or sheep for several years past, but 

 our hogs have been seriously affected with what is generally known as cholera. The 

 disease has been a very peculiar one here. Some were aifected in their hind limbs, 

 others in their fore legs ; some died very suddenly, while others would linger for 

 months, and, after becoming mere skeletons, would lie down and die. The loss has 

 been very heavy. No cause for the disease has as yet been discovered or remedy found. 

 Some have thought that pure, clear water would iirove a preventive, but such is not 

 the case. 



Mr. T. J. McDaniel, breeder of standard and fancy poultry, Hollis 

 Centre, Me., says: 



The greatest drawback we have in poultry-raising in New England is roup (Ci/iiancJie 

 trachealis), and canker or catarrh ( Uza'na). The former is characterized by a difficulty 

 of respiration, particularly at each inspiration, while the expiration is less difficult. 

 The fowl will raise and extend its head at each breath, thereby inducing coughing. 

 This is sensibly increased at night, and will end in suppuration, during which stage it 

 is highly contagious. Fowls so afflicted should be immediately killed or isolated from 

 all others. 



The causes of roup are insufficient ventilation or damp roosting-plaees ; food that 

 will induce catharsis, such as potatoes, sour milk, i)articularly buttermilk, overfeed- 

 ing with fresh meat, &c. Last fall I got out of corn, and for three days fed boiled 

 potatoes with a little meal ; getting out of meal, I fed potatoes alone for three more 

 days. At the end of this time we were visited by a storm of snow and sleet, and 

 nearly every one of my fowls took cold. Several of them choked to death. Finally 

 breathing with most of them became easier, when a purulent oft'ensive discharge be- 

 came established at the nostrils, and from the mucous membrane of the throat fauces 

 in particular. Knowing the disease had become highly contagious at this stage, I at 

 once separated them. I observed among those I had bred to standard (for fancy 

 points exclusively) that tlie disease proved fatal in far the greater number of cases. 

 For instance, among my brown Leghorns that were bred for exhibition purposes only, 

 one cockerel had red ear-lobes — as nature designed — and he alone escaped, though 

 confined with the worst cases, which were among and included nearly all the line-bred 

 birds. 



In-breeding is another cause of failure in rearing pure-bred fowls. With common 

 or native breeds it proves less disastrous, though it should never be contiuued for any 

 length of time with these, as stamina is thereby decreased and the fowls rendered 

 more susceptible of disease. The old adage holds good iu the case of roup especially, 

 that "an ounce of prevention is worth a iiound of cure." However, my advice is to 



