HOG-CHOLERA SERUM 317 



unapplauded, they kept up the tedious daily grind, until they had 

 finally completed an accompHshment equalled only by that of 

 Pasteur in the handUng of rabies. To Drs. Niles and Dorset es- 

 pecially belong the credit of developing the serum treatment for 

 cholera, as their efforts along this line have been untiring, and they 

 are to-day the two leading exponents of this method of controlUng 

 the disease. 



The experiments at Ames were carried on for a number of years 

 before any definite announcements were made as to the results 

 accomplished. Short reports were made from time to time, indi- 

 cating that progress was being made. It was not, however, until 

 careful field tests had been made with the use of the new product 

 in actual field management of hog-cholera that any report of an 

 extensive nature was made. Patent was then taken out on the 

 process of manufacture in the name of the people of the United 

 States, in order that the rights to manufacture and use the new 

 treatment might not fall into the hands of some private individual 

 that would be able to control the supply of the necessary serum 

 and charge exorbitant prices for the treatment. This was a most 

 worthy move, and one that ensures the supply of serum being fur- 

 nished at the lowest possible price consistent with the high stand- 

 ards of purity that must necessarily surround its manufacture. 



In the annual report of the Chief of the Bureau of Animal Indus- 

 try for 1907 the first extensive report of the use of the serum method 

 in treatment of cholera was made. This report quoted a large num- 

 ber of actual field experiments, and is largely reproduced in a later 

 section of this work. The effect of this announcement by Dr. 

 Niles was to stimulate in all parts of the country more pronounced 

 efforts along the line of serum production. Many of the state ex- 

 periment stations were already making extensive serum tests, and 

 the favorable nature of the Bureau of Animal Industry reports 

 stimulated them to further effort. 



Fake Serums. — About this time there also entered the field a 

 large number of private manufacturers. In a considerable number 

 of instances these private serum dealers were large commercial drug 

 supply companies who were merely seeking to supply a public de- 

 mand. In such cases the serum produced was in most instances of 

 good quality and has given good results. The opportunity for gain, 



