260 DISEASES OF SWINE 



Now in this case the infection was carried from the first prem- 

 ises most likely either upon the feet of the dog or upon the shoes 

 of his owner. The owner claimed that he thoroughly washed off 

 his shoes before leaving the infected farm, and so it would seem 

 most likely that the infection was carried on the feet of the dog. 



This case but serves to illustrate the many little things which 

 must be watched if we are to prevent the entrance of cholera to 

 new farms. This farmer was above the average in the knowledge 

 of the methods of spreading cholera, and went so far as to take 

 the precaution of thoroughly cleaning his own shoes. It did not 

 occur to him, however, that the feet of his dog were as capable of 

 carrying the infection as his own, and no attention was paid to 

 washing the feet of the dog. It is, as a rule, just little things like 

 this which result in the outbreak of hog-cholera in a herd. Truly, 

 indeed, may it be said that "eternal vigilance is the price of free- 

 dom from cholera." You must be continually on the outlook for 

 any possible source of introduction of the disease to your feed lots, 

 and be prepared to take any necessary steps to ward off the threat- 

 ened outbreak. 



Chickens and Pigeons. — On almost every farm chickens are 

 given the range of practically the entire premises, and, where 

 two farms closely adjoin each other, it is a very common thing, 

 indeed, for the chickens to cross freely from one farm to another. 

 Chickens are especially likely to be found in feed lots, as they are 

 always afforded here an ample opportunity to gather food. If two 

 feed lots lie close to each other, or lie across the road from each 

 other, it is very common for the flock of chickens to be found with 

 almost equal frequency in one feed lot or the other. 



Chickens are nearly always to be found on the pubUc roads, and 

 when these roadways have been infected by the passage along 

 them of a drove of cholera hogs, or a string of wagons loaded with 

 cholera animals, it is not long until the chickens have scratched 

 around enough in the litter and manure which are left behind to 

 carry infection on their feet to the animals in the feed lots. 



Examples of outbreaks of cholera which have been spread in 

 this easily overlooked manner are not hard to find. Two rather 

 interesting examples which I recall are the following: 



Farmer A and Farmer B lived just across the road from each 



