DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 73 



day to day, the hog all the time refusing to eat and hiding under the straw in his bed, 

 where he remains for hours unless driven out. The feet refuse to perform their ordi- 

 nary function of locomotion, and the animal limps or hobbles about as if there was a 

 nail in each foot, back bowed, skin red, aud after three or four days looks as if blistered ; 

 in fact the hair and skin (inally all peels otf of those that recover, leaving tlie animal 

 almost nude. They eat very little for some days, but drink water in great quantities, 

 and have copious discharges of urine, sometimes as much as a half gallon at a time, 

 bowels costive. I do not recollect of seeing or hearing of a case of diarrhea or laxity 

 of the bowels. The hog continues to decline, and either dies within from five to seven 

 days or begins to eat and gets better. 



The disease has prevailed in every township in this connty to a greater or less ex- 

 tent dnring the past twelve months. It commences in the early spring aud continues 

 until late in the fall. It is generally more fatal among small pigs than among older 

 hogs. I know one farmer who has prevented the malady from getting into his herd 

 by giving " stack powders" two or three times a week in slops or meal. Although 

 living in sight of his neighbor whose hogs died of the disease, his escaped. I was 

 talking with another (No. 2) a few days ago, who said he had several pigs which he 

 had kept penned up and fed on corn and slop, and that every one had died. Some 

 man near by had a large number running in the woods, which were frequently turned 

 in with those conlined, but not one of them took the cholera. No. 3 had several pigs, 

 all of which showed symptoms of cholera. He gave them a teaspoonful of spirits of 

 turpentine in bran slop, and every one recovered. No. 4 has allowed all his hogs to 

 run at large in the swamps, feeding a little corn at times to keep them gentle. Not 

 one has been diseased. Upon general in(|uiry over the country I am prepared to say 

 that all hogs that are allowed to bed in the woods and have free and large walks will 

 escape the disease. Let him " root or die" and you will have no more hog-cholera. 



Mr. John Powers, Eutledge, Crensliaw County, Alabama, says : 



Hog-cholera, as it is general^ known in this vicinity, prevails more or less every 

 year. When attacked the patient begius to droop, holds down its head, and is indif- 

 ferent to eating or drinking. They seem to be atfected with a kind of dysentery, with 

 frequent small evacuations. The surface is warm, and there are occasional quiverings 

 of the flesh. Occasionally they die almost instantly, rovt-inortem examinations clearly 

 show that indigestion prevails. 



The fatality is about 50 per cent, of those attacked. Generally three-fourths of a 

 herd will be taken, while the remainder will continue perfectly healthy. Of those 

 that overcome the disease about 50 per cent, regain their original health ; the remain- 

 der are hard to fatten. I have never known a hog to die from the second attack. The 

 disease prevails at any season of the year. Its fatality is greater among fat hogs, 

 especially among those fed on corn. 



The treatment is varied, but it is generally conceded that a small amount of alkali 

 is the most efHcacious, both as a remedy and as a preventive. A small amount of pot- 

 ash or concentrated lye is used by those who profess to treat it with any degree of 

 success. We sometimes use asafetida as a preventive with success, but it is perfectly 

 useless as a remedy. Corn feeding will not do ; it will kill in nine cases out of ten. 

 The hogs should be penned with shelter, free from dust, and sparingly fed on any easily 

 digestible food. Whenever it is discovered that tlie animal has a desire to eat, be 

 certain not to give it enough to satisfy it. Let it be kept hungry, not starved, but 

 allowed about one-fourth the usual feed. 



Fresh pine tar is good, both as a preventive and as a remedy, but it should be given 

 in small quantities. Sulphur does harm, aud copperas will ruin the teeth in a few 

 days. Soda acts well. They require no external applications unless lousy. A lousy 

 hog with the cholera would die if not cleansed. With the first treatment use alkalies 

 perseveiingly but sparingly, and the result will be 25 per cent, saved. Do not give 

 corn unless it is ground. 



Bots and glanders in horses, with an occasional case of distemper, are about the only 

 diseases that atfect this class of animals in this locality. Cattle are atfected to some 

 extent with hollow-horn, for which boring is the only remedy known here. Fat cows 

 are never atfected with this disease. A few cases of a new disease are reported, but 

 enough is not known of it to attemj)t a diagnosis. 



Mr. W. O. Millard, Caleta, Wliiteside Couut}*, niiuois, says : 



About one year ago the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture of this State 

 sent me a blank to lill out in regard to the so-called hog-cholera, which was thf>n, as 

 now, very destructive to all classes of swine. I made out a report and it was pul listed 

 in connection with a number of others from different parts of the State. When I made 

 that report I had never been visited with the disease, and consequently was unable to 

 give as accurate a diagnosis as I may be able to give you. The disease first made its 



