162 Cattle Problems. 



the spores do not invade the blood, unless it be bad in 

 quality, from containing an accumulated excess of car- 

 bonic acid, and animal matters that are poisonous. 



The only way to prevent hogs taking Bacteria, or be- 

 coming affected with cholera, is to keep their blood heal- 

 thy, with a full supply and proportion of oxygen from full 

 breathing. This can readily be done by allowing or com- 

 pelling the hogs to take sufficient regular exercise* daily, 

 to insure a sufficient extent in breathing, and a healthy 

 supply of oxygenated blood that is sound ; the Bacteria 

 not invading sound blood, because they grow only by feed- 

 ing on poisonous matters. 



Increased activity increases thirst also, causing more 

 water to pass through the system, which, besides serving 

 detergent purposes, thins and cools the blood, so conduc- 

 ing to maintain its proper fluidity and temperature. 



When the healthy proportion of oxygen is reduced by 

 reducing exercise, the quantity of excretory matters grad- 

 ually or rapidly increases until it becomes excessive, when 

 it furnishes a nidus, or breeding bed, of such a poisonous 

 and dangerous character that Bacteria appear to organize 

 this blood poison, because it is their natural aliment, and 

 their proper function to organize such bad qualities of mat- 

 ter, or feed upon blood-poison, which, however, would not 

 be present in diseasing excess, if the necessary extent of ex- 

 halatory breathing were not absurdly and injuriously re- 

 duced or prevented by reduced or prevented exercise. 



As will be readily inferred, hogs that have their blood 

 invaded or infected with Bacteria, may recover when there 

 is but little excretory poison in their blood. But when 

 the accumulated poison becomes excessive in extent, hogs 

 do not usually survive the invasion of scavenger Bacteria, 



♦Habitual excerise is the cause and condition of that vital renovation of 

 parts which is the source and measure of constMutXonal vigor . Huxley and 

 Youmans' Physi., p. 483. 



