1905.] 



Swine Erysipelas. 



43i 



the injection of serum (alone) (1 — 4 doses). Nettle-rash occurred 

 in '04 per cent, of the inoculated ; the disease disappeared from 

 the farms after inoculation was adopted, whereas it had 

 reappeared regularly before that time. 



In Wurtemburg in 1896 — 8, 17,758 pigs were inoculated. 

 The accidents numbered thirteen ; the deaths certified due to this 

 disease (/>., failures to protect) were sixteen (ten cases doubtful) ; 

 3,254 non-vaccinated died of swine erysipelas. 



It is not advisable to resort to inoculation of pigs on non- 

 infected premises unless the circumstances are such that owing 

 to the proximity of acute outbreaks it appears practically 

 impossible to prevent the disease being introduced by methods 

 of rigorous isolation, because the operation might possibly be 

 the means of infecting the premises. Should the disease appear, 

 however, all the pigs should with the least delay possible receive 

 a dose of serum, and those in which the temperature is normal 

 should be removed to non-infected sties on the same premises, 

 if this be practicable. Ten days afterwards the vaccination 

 proper may be practised after the method of Leclainche (serum 

 and virus, then virus alone) on those animals still showing a 

 normal temperature. The pigs with high temperatures should 

 be returned to the infected sties, and if their value warrants 

 it, they should be treated by injections of serum alone. On no 

 account should they receive the culture. If it be found im- 

 possible to separate the sick from the healthy, the operations 

 should be carried on in the infected sties. Although this 

 disease can to a large extent be successfully combated by sero- 

 therapy, it must not be thought that measures of isolation and 

 sanitation can be dispensed with. While the outbreak lasts, no 

 new pigs should be brought in, and none should leave the 

 premises, except for slaughter, under the most rigorous pre- 

 cautions against the disease being conveyed to other premises. 

 If a pig owner finds that the disease reappears annually on his 

 premises he should resort annually to preventive inoculation, 

 timing the operation so as to have his animals immunised 

 before the season of greatest activity. He should also remember 

 that the complete eradication of the disease from his premises 

 will be greatly facilitated by keeping his pigs in sties which 

 can be properly disinfected. 



