I9i i] 



Eradication of Swine Fever. 



235 



byres than in those which permit the animals to retain their 

 natural coverings. 



The practical rules that may be held to arise from the 

 results of these experiments are as follows : — 



(1) A careful attempt should be made to give such a degree 

 and kind of ventilation as will, without creating draughts, 

 keep the temperature of the byre always down to 50 0 F. 



(2) Special care should be exercised to keep the temperature 

 of the byre well below this point in autumn and early winter 

 in order that the cows may grow their winter covering of hair. 



A Departmental Committee was appointed on April nth, 

 1910, by the President of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries to inquire into the cause of the 

 Eradication of continued prevalence of swine fever in 

 Swine Fever. Great Britain, and to report whether it 

 is practicable to adopt any further 

 measures with a view to secure its speedy extirpation. This 

 Committee has now presented an interim Report (Cd. 5671. 

 Price 2d.). 



At an early stage in its investigations, the Committee, after 

 carefully considering the present position of scientific know- 

 ledge in relation to swine fever, came to the conclusion that 

 immediate further investigation was desirable into the 

 following matters : — 



(a) To what extent it is possible for contagion to spread 

 by infective excretions being carried mechanically by atten- 

 dants and animals other than swine. 



(b) Whether external parasites, such as certain lice, carry 

 the disease from sick to healthy swine. 



(c) Whether pigs which have, to all appearance, recovered 

 from swine fever remain long infective to other swine. 



(d) Whether apparently healthy pigs which have been 

 exposed to infection are capable of transmitting the disease as 

 carriers. 



(e) For what period it would be safe to consider swine 

 which have recovered from swine fever to be immune against 

 a further attack. 



(/) What use, if any, could be made of artificial methods of 

 immunisation to expedite the eradication of swine fever. 

 (g) Whether any of the methods which have lately come 



