166 diseases of swine 



Types of Cholera and their Symptoms 



Every outbreak of cholera is not alike, and the symptoms of 

 the disease are by no means always the same. Some epidemics are 

 very severe, others mildly so, while some outbreaks are very mild 

 in their course. Accordingly, in taking up the symptoms of chol- 

 era it is advisable to divide it into about three classes or types of 

 cases, as follows: 



(1) The Very Severe Type. — This is also spoken of as the ful- 

 minant type. 



(2) The Acute or Rapid Type. — This is what is commonly 

 known among stock-men and farmers as "the old-fashioned 

 cholera." 



(3) The Chronic or Slow Type. — In this form of the disease the 

 animals are never decidedly sick, but just keep running down and 

 down until they become stunted and runty, and either die or remain 

 stunted as long as they live. 



SYMPTOMS OF VERY SEVERE TYPE 

 In the first few herds of hogs that are taken sick at the com- 

 mencement of an outbreak of cholera early in the season there are 

 often seen some cases in which the animals die without even having 

 been noticed as sick at all. In the morning the owner goes out 

 to the pens, and finds that during the night one, two, or maybe 

 a half-dozen hogs have died. The next morning the same thing 

 may be found again. 



Very often when these hogs are cut open after death, even by 

 expert veterinarians, it is almost impossible to find any changes 

 in any of the internal organs which will help very much in making 

 up our mind as to the cause of death. It has been, indeed, well 

 stated by Dr. Connaway, of the Missouri State Agricultural 

 College, that in these cases the hog is simply dead, and we are un- 

 able to see any reason as to why he died, but the fact remains 

 that he is dead. Very often we may examine several animals that 

 have died in a herd before we find one in which there is sufficiently 

 clear evidence on which to make a positive diagnosis as to the cause 

 of death. Cholera should, however, always be suspected in these 

 cases, and every effort made to prevent further spread of the dis- 



