50 THE DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



sucli as to almost destroy their value as marketable animals from 

 an economical point of view. 



Treatment. — On account of its difficulties, medicinal treatment 

 of swine is in general almost useless, and with this disease truly so ; 

 the antizymotics are, however, indicated in unison with tonics. 



Prevention. 



As in all infectious diseases, of whatever nature, the aim of 

 modern medicine is prevention. On account of the great liability 

 to extension peculiar to this porcine pest, the regulations of prevent- 

 ive medicine must be fully as much of a general as of a local 

 character. 



We shall follow Mr. Law in considering this question. He says : 



" One farmer may easily eradicate it from his swine, but, so long 

 as it continues to prevail among those of his neighbors, his stock is 

 daily subjected to the danger of renewed infection." 



This being the fact with reference to the individual farmer, it is 

 equally the case in every township, county, or State. In our East- 

 ern States the pest is almost invariably due to the importation of 

 diseased stock, and, though from the lack of pigs it never gains 

 wide extension, it illustrates the infectious nature of the disease in 

 the West. To secure a complete or even restricted immunity from 

 its ravages, active measures must be taken over the entire land, and 

 this can only be done under the supervision of one central, con- 

 trolling power, with the necessary number of local authorities. 



The following measures should be adopted : 



1. The appointment of local inspectors to carry out the measures 

 necessary to suppress the disease. 



2. The injunction on all having the care of or ownership of hogs, 

 and upon all who may be called upon to advise concerning the same, 

 or to treat them, to make known to such local authorities all recog- 

 nized or suspected cases of the disease, under a penalty for any and 

 every neglect of such duty. 



3. The obliging of the local authorities, under the advice of a 

 competent veterinary inspector, to see to the absolute destruction of 

 all pigs suffering from the pest, and all that have been in contact 

 with them, and their burial in some isolated place, and the thorough 

 disinfection of the pens, utensils, and persons around them. 



(It will frequently be found most advantageous to the interests 

 of all concerned, to kill and bury the hogs in their pens, and to 

 burn the latter, when of wood, as well as the utensils, and to erect 

 new pens at some place properly distant for any new lot of hogs.) 



