18 



farmers' BULLETIN 834. 



Table 3. — Results of serum treatment in exposed herds (apparently well when treated), 



1918, 1914, and 1915. 



Mode of treatment. 



Hogs 

 treated. 



Hogs died. 



Serum alone 



Number. 

 10, 079 

 8,529 



Number. 

 34 

 15 



Per cent. 

 0.3 

 0. 1 



Simultaneous 



Total 



19, 208 



49 



0.2 





METHOD OF ADMINISTERING SERUM. 



Two systems are used in protecting hogs from cholera by inocula- 

 tion — the "serum-alone inoculation " and the " simultaneous inocula- 

 tion." These two systems will be discussed later. At this point it is 

 proposed merely to describe the mode of handling the herd and the 

 manner of making the injection. 



Before beginning the treatment of an infected herd, the sick and 

 the apparently well hogs should be separated and each lot confined 

 in a pen or inclosure that may be cleaned and disinfected. A section 

 of the inclosure should be arranged for holding a small number of 

 animals, where they may be caught readily for inoculation without 

 worrying them or exciting the herd. Otherwise they may crowd 

 together and thus cause, particularly in warm weather, an elevation 

 of temperature that may be misleading. It is advisable to withhold 

 feed from all hogs in the herd for at least 12 hours before treatment. 



An ample supply of hot water and clean pails should be on hand 

 for preparing disinfectants and for use in keeping the instruments 

 and the operator's hands clean. 



The syringes and needles should be not only absolutely clean, but 

 sterilized by boiling in water for 5 or 10 minutes. A table or bench, 

 covered by clean towels, should be provided for the syringes and 

 other instruments, and there should be a bucket containing a dis- 

 infectant 1 for rinsing the instruments and the hands of the operator 

 when they become soiled. (Fig. 7.) 



The serum may be poured into a small glass bowl or jelly jar pre- 

 viously cleaned and sterilized by boiling. This should be kept cov- 

 ered with a clean metal or glass lid when not in use. A large tube 

 passed through the cork and reaching to the bottom of the serum 

 bottle, one end being made to fit the syringe the same as the needle, 

 does away with the need for a bowl and provides a more sanitary 

 method of filling the syringe. 



The needle should be removed from the syringe after each injec- 

 tion and placed in a small, shallow receptacle containing a disin- 



1 See footnote on p. 15. 



