PART I.— HOG CHOLERA. 



1 am often asked the question, What is hog cholera? About the 

 best answer I am able to give at this time would be that hog cholera 

 is an acute, subacute or chronic contagious disease of hogs caused by 

 a filterable virus, the specific micro-organism ("germ") of which has 

 never yet been isolated or described by any laboratory or field worker. 

 It is characterized by extreme contagiousness and a high death rate, 

 and does not affect any animal except swine. 



Annual Losses in United States from Hog Cholera. 

 Swine values in the United States total many thousand over one 

 billion dollars. Authorities claim — and I believe justly so — that the 

 annual losses from the ravages of cholera in this great country of ours 

 amounts to between fifty and sixty million dollars. This is to us a 

 tremendous drain in the way of actual losses. It is appalling when we 

 pause to think that cholera is a preventable disease and one easily and 

 cheaply controlled. 



Annual Losses in Tennessee from Hog Cholera. 



The 1910 Federal Census gives Tennessee 1,386,050 head of swine, 

 valued at $7,320,377.00. By what we consider a conservative estimate 

 based upon reports of reliable and well-informed men from most 

 every county in the State and from our own personal observation and 

 other dependable sources of information, we have claimed, and do now 

 state, that no less than 400,000 hogs, valued at $2,250,000.00, died in 

 Tennessee during the year 191 2 from hog cholera. 



The Indirect Losses. 



Any disease which causes such money losses in one year in a State 

 as small in area as Tennessee certainly deserves the most careful con- 

 sideration from all persons who are either directly or indirectly in- 

 volved. With those 400,000 hogs that died last year from cholera 

 made into bacon and lard some part of the present high cost of these 

 two essentials to our existence would be solved. The control and 

 eradication of hog cholera does not by any means involve or concern 

 or affect the pocketbook of the swine owner alone, but every meat 

 consuming citizen has a share — from an economic viewpoint — in the 

 success of such an undertaking. Since the price of pork and pork 

 products are based upon supply and demand, it is logical to conclude 

 that for every hog thai dies from cholera there is one less hog with 

 which to feed the people. 



Two million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars represents only 



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