DISEASES OF THE HOG. 221 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
HOG CHOLERA AND SWINE PLAGUE. 
Hog cholera and swine plague are both very fatal 
diseases, destroying great numbers of hogs yearly, 
especially in the corn-growing States. It attacks 
pigs at all ages, but shoats 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 sey- 
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 were 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 
