TREATMENT OF CHOLERA 273 



of the hogs on one of the farms were noted to be off feed, and within 

 a week there were sick hogs on all three of the farms to which these 

 cattle had been taken. The condition at first was believed to be 

 indigestion, as there had been no cholera in the vicinity for nearly 

 two years. The symptoms, however, soon became exactly those 

 of cholera, and postmortem examination of one of the animals that 

 died showed the characteristic button-like ulcers of cholera through- 

 out the small and large bowel, enlarged blood-stained lymph-glands, 

 small red spots in the kidney, and other evidences of old-fashioned 

 cholera. 



The healthy animals were at once shipped out to market, and 

 the dead were thoroughly disposed of by proper burning. As a 

 result, the outbreak was smothered at its outset and did not spread 

 to any farms except the three originally infected. This serves as an 

 excellent example of what may be accomplished in checking an 

 outbreak of cholera if the disease is recognized early and prompt 

 measures taken to stamp it out, including a proper disposal of the 

 dead carcasses. Burn all your dead animals, and you will have 

 taken a big step forward in the direction of checking the progress 

 of cholera. 



The fact that the disease appeared on all three of the farms to 

 which these cattle were distributed, and the further fact that it 

 did not make its appearance on any other farm in the neighbor- 

 hood, is very convincing evidence that the germs of infection must 

 have been brought in with the newly purchased cattle. Where 

 these animals picked up the infectious material is more or less 

 uncertain, but it would seem most likely either that the cars in 

 which they were shipped had been recently used for the purpose of 

 shipping cholera-infected hogs to market, or else that they picked 

 up the infection in the pubUc stock-yards where they were unloaded 

 for purposes of feeding and watering. 



In either case, it shows us two great possible sources of danger 

 in connection with the spread of cholera. All cars which you are 

 going to use for shipment of cattle to your feeding lots should be 

 first thoroughly disinfected and cleaned. In like manner we should 

 avoid shipping cattle from points so far distant that it will be neces- 

 sary to unload and feed and water the animals, especially at a pub- 

 lic stock-yard, where there is great danger of further chances for 



