DISEASES OF THE HOG. 221 



CHAPTER XXIV. ^ 



HOG CHOLERA AND SWINE PLAGUE. 



Hog cholera and swine plagne are both very fatal 

 diseases, destroying great numbers of hogs yearly, 

 especially in the corn-growing States. It attacks 

 pigs at all ages, but slioats seem to be more liable 

 to it than older ones; the older ones have more" 

 power of resisting the virus than the younger ones. 

 There is no doubt but that the disease is the result 

 of a bacteria, but why this bacteria should make its 

 appearance is not easily understood. In the sev- 

 eral outbreaks which I have studied it has acted 

 very peculiarly; as an illustration — it first made 

 its appearance on the farm of a Mr. A., destroying 

 nearly all his hogs, young and old; Mr. A.'s pigs 

 were fine bred and well kept in the way of cleanli- 

 ness, pure water, good pasture, food, principally 

 corn in the ear; the pigs were all fat. Their neigh- 

 bors on all sides had herds of hogs, some well bred, 

 others not; some w^ere allowed to wallow in stag- 

 nant pools, others kept clean; none of these took 

 the disease. Messrs. B., C. and D., living some three 

 miles distant, lost very heavily from this disease. 

 I have known cases where a man kept only two or 

 three hogs on his place and the disease would carry 



