DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 101 



can be drawn from the large vein in the neck of the calf attacked is to me conclusive 

 evidence that the disease is one of the blood. 



I think bleeding i« a preventive; at any rate, I lost three with the disease in as many 

 consecutive days, and I immediately bled the balance in the neck, taking about a quart 

 of blood f I'om each, and have not lost a calf since. A neighbor of mine, keeping twenty- 

 three calves, lost six during the fall months with the disease. He bled the balance and 

 lost no more. The calves are usually attacked after being turned ou " after-feed," and 

 should bo bled before, and again in October. 



Mr. T. S. GiLLiLAND, Van Wert, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, says : 



Hogs are sutteriug here from what is known as hog-cholera. They are mostly taken 

 with a cough, and some die in a few hours, while others linger for three or four days, 

 sometimes for a week or two. When opened the lungs seem to be very much affected 

 and have a very offensive smell. Some persons claim that they can detect this smell 

 while the hogs are yet alive. They seldom recover. Some apparently get well and 

 gain in flesh, and then die. One man brought me a portion of the fatty part of a hog 

 that he said had had the cholera and recovered, and had fattened as well as the rest 

 of his hogs ; but the meat was a bright j'ellow. I thought likely this discoloration 

 ■was caused by an obstruction of the gall-duct, so that the gall had disseminated itself 

 like in jaundice in persons. 



The cholera seems to be epidemic in its nature, taking off nearly all the hogs in a neigh- 

 borhood, while other neighborhoods may entirely escape. Changing hogs from one 

 place to another seems to be beneficial. One man had his hogs in pens, and after 

 losing between forty and fifty turned them in a. woods lot, after which he lost no more. 

 He thought he had discovered the cause. Another farmer had his in a large field, and 

 after losing about thirty he put the remainder in pens, and they did well. He thought 

 he had found the cause and a remedy. Some of our physicians claim that the disease 

 is lung-fever, while others think the aflection of the lungs is not the first cause. 



Chickens also have the cholera. They seem to have a diarrhea. Some will linger 

 for three or four days, while others, which seem to be in apparent good health in the 

 evening will be found dead under their roost in the morning. Cleanliness of coops 

 and roosting-places seems to have a good effect, but is not a sure preventive. Some 

 persons claim that the disease is caused by chickens becoming lousy and eating the 

 lice. It is claimed that common black pepper and capsicum administered in sour milk 

 is both a preventive and cure. 



Dr. C. H. E. Shuttee, West Plains, Howell County, Missouri, says : 



A few hogs have died in this county of a disease called cholera. I do not think the 

 disease was cholera ; it seemed to be more of an affection and inflammation of the 

 lungs than anything else. I do not know of any remedies that were used, as the dis- 

 ease prevailed to so limited an extent as to attract but little attention. There are no 

 diseases among other classes of farm-animals in this county. 



Mr. John Hornback, Carthage, Jasper County, Missoim, says : 



We have had no prevalent diseases among horses since the epizootic, four years ago, 

 except the common horse or colt distemper, v?hich seldom is treated with medicine or 

 proves fatal. 



There is and has been a fatal disease prevailing among the cattle of the county. It 

 is known as Texas or Spanish fever, and is very fatal. During the past summer, where- 

 ever Texas or Southern cattle were herded nearly all the home or native stock of cat- 

 tle died off". In some neighborhoods and settlements there are scarcely any cattle 

 left. When first taken they appear to droop around for a day or two, looking very 

 gaunt and hollow. They also have a hot fever, with little or no appetite. About the 

 third day they appear to fail very rapidly, and in many cases do not live beyond the 

 fourth day, and rarely if ever longer than the sixth. If examined after death the 

 stomach or manifold, and the food contained therein, will be found as dry as dry 

 light wheat bread, and the folds of the stomach will be about as tender as wet brown 

 paper. There are many reported remedies for the disease. I have tried a great many 

 of them myself, but have never succeeded in curing a single animal. I think the only 

 preventive or remedy is to keep the Texas cattle away from our native stock. Our 

 cattle never have the disease unless they run with or are grazed on the same pasture 

 with Texas cattle. 



For the past two years we have suffered to some extent with diseases among hogs. 

 The disease is called cholera by many persons, but instead of but one 1 think there are 

 many diseases. During last summer and fall a great many pigs and shoats died. Some 

 would die in a very few days after being taken sick, while others would linger along 

 and live for nearly a month. It is my opinion that most of the pigs and shoats that 



