192 DISEASES OF SWINE 



our efforts we must have a strict compliance with the laws of sani- 

 tation by everyone, and where we meet with those who, through 

 ignorance or stubbornness, refuse to take such measures as will 

 protect their neighbor's herd from infection, then we must deal 

 with them in no uncertain manner. These men are a public danger, 

 and they must be taught a lesson that they will remember regard- 

 ing the proper respect for the welfare of their neighbor as well as 

 themselves. 



This class of cases can be best handled by turning over to the 

 State Live Stock Commission or other legal state officer the power 

 to make regulations governing the disposal of animals which die 

 from disease, and then give these officers the necessary poUce 

 power to make arrests and impose fines when necessary to secure 

 compliance with the law. These rules will not cause any hardship 

 upon any man who is really interested in the public good, and those 

 who are so selfish as to have no regard for the rights of others de- 

 serve to be taught a lesson. There is absolutely no use in spending 

 large sums of money to clear certain areas of cholera, and then have 

 the disease started up there again through the carelessness of some 

 lazy individual, who has no care for the welfare of his neighbor, 

 and is usually too lazy to even care what becomes of his own herd. 



If we just stop for a few moments and consider the enormous 

 losses that take place in the United States every year from cholera, 

 we will see what an unusually hard undertaking this is, and we will 

 also the better appreciate the necessity for a united effort upon 

 the part of the live-stock officers of all the states and the United 

 States Government. 



Cholera Losses. — As a result of carefully collected figures for 

 the year 1910 it is officially estimated that the losses from chol- 

 era in the United States totaled from $50,000,000 to $60,000,000. 

 This is, if anything, a low figure, as careful estimation of the loss 

 in the state of Tennessee during the year 1912 places the loss 

 there alone at over $4,000,000. It is likely that a closer figure 

 to the annual loss throughout the United States each year would 

 be about $100,000,000. 



This is estimating on the five value of the animals lost from the 

 disease. If we take into account the value that these same animals 

 would have if allowed to reach maturity and placed upon the 



