122 HIGGLE SWINE BOOK. 



Before entering further into this subject I desire to 

 notice what to me is the most hopeful promise held out 

 by any of the investigators. In this, as in all other great 

 searches after truth, some men have stood far in ad- 

 vance of their fellows. The only ray of hope I see held 

 out to the swine raiser comes in the promise of im- 

 munity through prevention. Some of the investigators 

 have contended that the animals could be rendered 

 cholera proof by inoculation with a virus containing the 

 germs of the disease especially prepared for the 

 purpose. They have not as yet been able to render 

 this practical, for the reason that the virus would some- 

 times produce the genuine hog cholera and kill the hogs 

 operated on. The unsolved problem seems to be to 

 cultivate the germs in a form mild enough. 



That they will in the end be successful I have not 

 the slightest doubt. How long we may have to wait 

 before they will attain success I cannot say, but that 

 they will succeed in the end I know from what is gen- 

 erally conceded in regard to the disease, and that is 

 that a hog once having the disease will never take it 

 a second time. This being the case, all that remains 

 to be done is to cultivate a virus sufficiently mild as 

 not to endanger the life of the animal and of sufficient 

 strength to produce the disease in a light form. 



Another and somewhat more recent means of pre- 

 venting the disease is the serum or antitoxin cure. It 

 consists in introducing into the system of the animal a 

 serum which enables the body to more successfully 

 combat the disease. The Government officials seem 

 to be highly pleased with the results so far and seem to 

 believe that relief from the dread disease is likely to 



