118 DISEASE A'MONG SWINE AND OTIIEK DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



Mr. J. S. N. Xewmyee, Loue Lake, Mason Coiiuty, Missouri, says: 



Heavy losses Lave been sustained in this section by a disease among swine called 

 cholera. There are several ditterent diseases classed under this name, or else the dis- 

 ease has many ditterent phases. I have been raising and fattening on an average 

 abput 100 hogs per year, and had very good luck until last January, when my animals 

 commenced dying, and since then I have lost 200 head. I had I'JO head on the first 

 visitation of the disease, and out of that number lost 100. I did nothing to prevent 

 the spread or to cure the disease — only separated the well from the sick hogs, but this 

 seemed to do no good. Those first attacked died in a few days, and were full and plump 

 "when death ensued. After a few weeks they lingered along for a good while, and were 

 generally reduced almost to skeletons before they died. The last ones that died had 

 "what wc here call thumps, and they lingered along three weeks before they died. A very 

 few recovered after they had become so poor aud thin that they could scarcely stand. 

 At theexpiratiou of about two months I commenced buying another herd, weighing from 

 80 to 140 pounds each. I purchased them at difTerent points, getting from six to ten at a 

 place. Afteralittle while they also commenced to get sick and die, and I lost 15 out of 46 

 in that lot. I used remedies with this herd, but do not think with any good results, al- 

 though several of them recovered. Someof them had high fever, and others passed bloody 

 urine. This was in May and June. In September following my pigs took sick, and 

 in a very short time I lost 35 out of a herd of 38. These pigs were suckling at the time 

 the disease broke out among them. They and their mothers were confined in the same 

 lot with 40 hogs I was fattening, but none but the pigs were affected in any way. I 

 have known several such cases in this neighborhood, and therefore I am not inclined 

 to believe that the disease is contagious. 



I believe an investigation, as you propose, will result in much good. It should be 

 made thorough and complete, aud the disease is so wide-spread and involves such vast 

 interests that the government should afford ample meaus to investigate, and, if pos- 

 sible, determine its cause or causes. 



Mrs. J. S. Tost, Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, says : 



We have had some cases of pleuro-pneumonia among horses iu this section of the 

 county. Symptoms: The animals lag in their walk, aud manifest little desire for 

 food. They have a cough, with discharges at the nose aud mouth. The remedy used 

 is forty drops of aconite and eighty drops of muriate tincture of iron in water, given 

 twice a day. The animal should be well rubbed. I am informed by a veterinary sur- 

 geon that horses afflicted with the epizootic five years ago are more liable to this disease 

 than others. The disease is quite fatal. Some horses live but a few days, while others 

 may linger for several weeks. If proper remedies are immediately used tw^o-thirds 

 will recover. A ^mnl -mortem examination reveals the pleura in a high state of inflamma- 

 tion, presenting a purple-red color. The blood is water}-, aud about the lungs is found 

 pus. 



A few cattle have also had pleuro-pneumonia. The symptoms are about the same as 

 in horses, with the exception that the cough is harsher. Twenty-five drops of aconite 

 and fifty drops of muriate tincture of irou iu water, given three times a day, is the 

 remedy used. 



There have been some cases of hog-cholera in this locality. When attacked the 

 animals swell and turn purple ^bout the jowls, and have a white appearance about 

 the nose and mouth. If not immediately attended to they will die in three or four 

 days. Aconite in water (twenty drops) is used as a remedy. If the hog does not vomit 

 Avithiu two hours, ten drops more should be given. Kub the neck aud jowls twice 

 with an ointment made of four ounces of iodine mixed with one pint of lard. 



Chicken-cholera has prevailed here- for several years past. They often die before 

 you are aware that there is anything the matter with them. When attacked they re- 

 fuse foQd, the comb becomes very dark, almost black, as does the flesh after death. 



Mr. J. F. Tube, Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri, says : 



A disease prevailed among hogs in this locality last summer, and about one-tenth of 

 this class of farm-animals died of it. The disease was called measles. The animals 

 would first break out in small red spots, which would soon turn into large sores. 

 After this death soon ensued. No remedy was found that proved of any benefit. 



IMr. E. BuRKET, Arch Springs, Blair County, Pennsylvania, says: 



There have been very fatal diseases prevailing among fowls iu this locality for some 

 years past. I have known many flocks to nearly all die, and some of them were com- 

 posed of perhaps one hundred and fifty head. During the fall I lost ninety head my- 

 self. The disease seems to prevail at any season. We have found cayenne pepper, 



