270 DISEASES OF SWINE 



within a few days after their return home. In the majority of 

 these cases the infection takes place from contact or direct associa- 

 tion with cholera animals, or from being placed in diseased pens. 

 There are so many sources of danger at a great public gathering 

 of this kind that it would seem very inadvisable to send any animals 

 to an exhibit or state fair unless they have been previously im- 

 munized by a proper serum-virus simultaneous treatment. It is 

 only by such means as this that we can hope to keep them free from 

 cholera. Not only the hogs intended for exhibit at the fairs, but 

 the entire home herd should be so immunized, in order that there 

 may be no danger from infection by diseased material brought 

 home with the prize- winning animals. 



Recently, I had occasion to see an outbreak of cholera produced 

 through exhibit of animals at a local county fair. The farmer upon 

 whose farm the outbreak took place had some especially choice 

 Chester- Whites which he was exceedingly proud of, and he sent 

 5 of the finest of the lot to be entered in the competition at the 

 county fair held at the county-seat in September. 



These animals were especially fine in appearance, and appa- 

 rently in the pink of health when they left the farm. At the fair 

 they were admired by all that saw them, and when the judges 

 made their awards the blue ribbon was placed on this lot. Six 

 days after their return home one of the animals was noted to be a 

 little slow about coming out of the pen. He stood with his back 

 arched a little and the belly drawn up. The hind feet were slightly 

 crossed, and the animal apparently had little disposition to move 

 about. When driven up to the feed trough he merely sniffed at 

 the food, drank a little of the fluid, and then slowly returned to 

 the litter in the shed. The next morning he was found dead. Post- 

 mortem examination revealed all the signs of cholera. In a couple 

 of days two more of the show animals were sick, and only prompt 

 shipment of the entire herd saved an enormous loss, and even then 

 the loss was considerable, as two of the prize-winning animals died, 

 and the entire herd had to be sold at market price, whereas they 

 could have been sold at a considerable premium as breeding 

 stock. 



In every case where animals are to be exhibited at fairs of this 

 kind one of two plans should be followed. The best plan is to 



