VITALITY OF HOG-CHOLERA VIRUS 95 



animals have died or been removed to thoroughly gather up all 

 corn cobs, litter, manure, etc., and pile in one heap and burn. In 

 this manner only can the lots be freed from the virus of cholera. 



(4) Hog wallows are an especially fertile breeding-p lace for the 

 hog-cholera virus, and the germs persist for several months in the 

 mud at the bottom of these filthy, disease-breeding nuisances. 

 Frequently the germ even seems to be able to retain its virulence in 

 a hog wallow through an entire winter season. 



In cleaning up a hog feed lot where it is desired to free the 

 premises of cholera virus it is necessary that these wallows be 

 drained out, and the mud at the bottom exposed to the direct ac- 

 tion of the sun's rays for several days. Better still, replace these 

 insanitary disease breeders by sanitary, modern, concrete hog wal- 

 lows, which can be kept clean and free from disease. A concrete 

 wallow can be drained at frequent intervals, and its inner surface 

 thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. 



(5) The virus of hog-cholera may be destroyed by a number of 

 disinfectant substances, such as chlorid of lime or the com- 

 pound cresol solution. This latter substance is a very convenient 

 and efficient disinfectant and is prepared as follows: 



Home-made Disinfectant. — Take 5 pounds of any good laundry 

 soap, such as American Family or Swift's Pride, and dissolve 

 in a sufficient amount of warm water. Add 1 gallon of crude 

 carbolic acid and stir well. Then add sufficient water to make 

 50 gallons of solution. This should be thoroughly sprayed over 

 the surface of the pens with a good force-spray pump. Used 

 in connection with the chlorid of lime, this offers the very best 

 method of pen disinfection. It cannot be expected to be effective, 

 however, unless all waste substances, such as corn cobs and litter, 

 are first thoroughly raked up and burned. 



(6) Weather conditions have a good deal to do with the length 

 of time that infection will persist in cholera-infected pens. Hot, 

 dry weather, with good strong sunlight every day, will do more to 

 destroy the virus of cholera than any other natural agency. 



(7) Cold weather checks the growt h and multiplication of the 

 hog-cholera virus, but it does not entirely destroy it, and with 

 the return of warm weather the germs rapidly regain their viru- 

 lence, and attack healthy animals which may come in contact with 



