DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 119 



mixed with corii-iuoal, about as good a romody as any. There are many other reme- 

 dies used, such as ahim-water, asafetida, red pepper, itc. Tliere was no disease 

 among fowls here until the foreign varieties were brought into this locality. 



Dr. R. J. Spurij, Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, says: 



Ten or twelve years ago a committee of physicians was appointed by the Fanners' 

 Club of this county to investigate the subject of so-called hog-cholera, then and now 

 very prevalent here. The undersigned was one of this committee, and during the 

 progress of this investigation a large number of posl-mortcni, examinations were made, 

 the subjects for examination being taken at all stages of the disease, from its incipient 

 stage to its close in death. Coi)ious notes were made of everything observed, but 

 through the death of the chairman they have been lost, yet suthcient facts were im- 

 pressed on the writer's mind to warrant him in bringing them to your attention. This 

 malady among hogs is so well known that a description of its symptoms and progress 

 is unnecessary. Suffice it to say that, whatever may be its cause, it does not occur in 

 single cases, but when a herd of hogs is attacked by it but few escape. Pigs and 

 small shoats seem more liable to it than older hogs. It also proves more destructive 

 to the former than to the latter. As "there is nothing in a name," this disease had 

 just as well be known by its popular name of "hog-cholera" as any other, although 

 the name in many cases leads to doubt and hesitancy from the fact that looseness of 

 the bowels is expected, when directly the opposite may exist. Purging may be present 

 in one case, and constipation in another. In the jmtsl-mortcm examinations made it was 

 found that the lesions of the diftereut organs were not uniform. The liver in one case 

 would be found engorged or inflamed, and in another not affected. In another case 

 the stomach would be found ulcerated or inflamed, while in still another it would be 

 found in its normal condition. Some would have inflammation of the bowels, and 

 others not; worms would be found in the bowels of some, while none would be found 

 in others. There was one organ, however, in which the distinctive process was very 

 uniform ; indeed, in the forty or fifty cases examined I do not remember of a single 

 exception. This was in the lungs, and is known as inter-lobular inflammation, and 

 incident to the early stages of the disease. In more progressed cases there was no 

 general difli"used inflammation or hepatization. There was one other thing uniform in 

 every case, and this was in the condition of the blood. This was placed under a mi- 

 croscope of rather feeble power, and the blood-disks or red globules were found to be 

 changed from their normal configuration. In recent cases the number of disks found 

 to be changed were limited, but very general in those where death had resulted from 

 the disease. The bloQd-disk in the hog in its normal condition is nearly circular, has 

 smooth edges, and when piled one upon another resemble somewhat small heaps of 

 silver money without the milling around the edges. The change which had occurred 

 was a shriveling or corrugation of the edges. Their appearance bi'ought to my mind 

 the scalloped edge of the bush-squash of our summer gardens. The cause of this we 

 Avere unable to determine, from the fact that our microscope did not possess sufficient 

 power for the purpose. We drew the conclusion, however, that they had been pierced 

 or penetrated by some low order of organized life which we had not the facilities for 

 detecting. 



The writer is a farmer, and raises a considerable number of hogs annually, but he 

 has not had this disease among his swine siuce the investigation detailed above, 

 although it has prevailed to a considerable extent upon adjoining farms, and in a few 

 instances diseased hogs of the neighborhood have mixed with his herd. He has per- 

 sistently pursued a course of prevention, which may or may not have been the cause 

 of his exemption. His course has been to give his hogs salt and sulphur once a week 

 in the proportion of two of the former to one of the latter, always giving them as much 

 as they will eat. They should have it both in summer and in winter, and without any 

 regard to weather. In addition to this he uses wood-ashes freely, upon piles of which 

 he throws salt. He has pursued this course with the hope of preventing the disease, 

 as sulphur is destj^uctive to low orders of animal and vegetable life. 



]Mr. J. r. Tylee, Sniitliport, McKeau County, Peuusylvauia, says : 



The most prevalent and fatal disease to which any class of farm-stock is subject here 

 is black-leg among cattle. It rages only among dry stock and calves, or yearlings. 

 When I came to this locality in 1870 I was told that the young cattle were dying ofl" 

 at a ra^iid rate with a disease that no one seemed to understand. I afterward discov- 

 ered that this fatal disease was black-leg. With the exception of the past season, it has 

 prevailed every year since. It seems to be more prevalent and fatal during the hot 

 season of the year. I have never known a case to recover. The disease comes on sud- 

 -denly, and generally terminates in death within from twelve to twenty-four hours. 

 The symptoms are a swelling of some part or parts of the body, stiffuess of the limbs, 



