She  R  U  R  AL  N  E  W-YO  R  K  E  R 
109 
Serum  Treatment  for  Hog  Cholera 
How  the  Work  is  Done 
[We  have  had  many  references  to  this  hog  cholera 
treatment,  and  readers  have  oflou  asked  ns  to  tell 
them  just  how  the  work  is  done.  The  following  article 
is  only  given  rho  single  treatment.  When  the  pig’s 
eyes  are  bloodshot  and  have  discharges  a  ml  the 
belly  is  blotched  only  single  treatment  is  given.  The 
double  treatment  means  the  administering  of  the 
serum  and  the  virus  at  the  same  time.  The  serum 
one  might  say  for  life,  as  most  of  these  pigs  are 
killed  before  the  term  of  immunity  is  past. 
CAItE  OF'  IT0S, — After  the  operation  the  pigs 
are  placed  in  clean  disinfected  pens,  and  are  given 
plenty  of  dry  bedding.  They  are  not  fed  on  the 
is  the  most  practical  description  that  we  have  ob¬ 
tained.] 
A  SPECIAL  CASE. — TTog  cholera  is  at  present 
successfully  prevented  by  the  serum  treatment. 
Fifteen  years  ago  cholera  broke  out  on  a  nearby 
farm  and  stopped  only  when  the  last  of  300  hogs 
were  dead.  For  about  five  years  no  hogs  were  kept 
on  tlie  farm.  Tin's  year  the  disease  again  began  its 
ravages.  There  were  about  400  hogs  of  all  sizes  in 
the  herd  at  that  time.  Several  hogs  died  before  the 
disease  was  definitely  known  as  liog  cholera.  The 
hogs  that  showed  any  symptoms  of  disease  were  at 
once  separated  from  those  in  good  health.  All  the 
pens  were  carefully  cleaned  and  thoroughly  sprayed 
with  disinfectants.  Then  the  inoculation  with  serum 
began. 
THE  TREATMENT.— Food  was  wilhheld  from 
the  pigs  on  the  night  before  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  operation.  As  all  of  the  herd  were  to  be  treated 
there  was  no  selecting  necessary,  as  the  pens  of  hogs 
were  about  the  same  size.  Fresh  dry  bedding  was 
placed  in  all  pens  and  only  fresh  water  left  in  the 
troughs.  The  equipment  for  the  operation  consists 
of  two  hypodermic  syringes,  cups  for  disinfectant 
and  iodine,  a  tested  clinical  thermometer,  rubber 
gloves,  punch  and  tags  for  marking  pigs,  a  table  to 
place  instruments  on.  a  pail  for  disinfectant,  and 
a  trough-shaped  table  to  place  pigs  on.  The  hy¬ 
podermic  syringes  should  be  of  two  sizes,  namely 
20  Cubic  centimeter  and  five  cubic  centimeter  cap¬ 
acity.  The  larger  size  is  used  for  the  serum  and 
the  smaller  for  virus.  When  scrum  alone  is  used 
the  smaller  syringe  is  not  necessary.  The  medical 
preparations  used  are  serum,  virus,  carbolic  acid, 
cresol  or  a  like  disinfectant  and  iodine.  The  serum 
counteracts  the  disease.  The  virus  when  given  with 
the  serum  produces  a  mild  case  of  cholera  and  is 
not  safe  for  unexperienced  persons  to  use.  The 
carbolic  acid  is  used  to  sterilize  the  hypodermic 
needles  after  each  treatment. 
ADMINISTERING  THE  SERUM. — Pigs  up  to  SO 
pounds  in  weight  are  held  as  shown  in  the  illustra¬ 
tion.  F’ig.  ?,2.  the  man  holding  the  pig  by  the  hind 
legs  nnd  gripping  it  with  his  knees.  In  this  way 
the  part  to  be  worked  on  is  rendered  easily  accessi¬ 
ble  to  the  operator.  I'igs  too  heavy  to  be  held  by 
one  man  are  placed  on  their  hacks  in  the  V-shaped 
table  and  held  by  one  man  on  each  side.  A  part  of 
ibis  table  is  showing  behind  the  operators.  The 
pig’s  temperature  is  taken  by  placing  the  ther¬ 
mometer  in  the  rectum.  After  placing  the  ther¬ 
mometer  the  operator  washes  the  pig’s  belly  between 
the  thinks  with  warm  water  to  which  cresol  or  some 
ether  disinfectant  has  been  added.  All  surplus 
r  oisture  is  removed  by  using  a  damp  rag  wrung  out 
of  the  disinfectant.  Then  iodine  is  _ _ 
applied  with  a  brush  in  a  V-sliape  from 
between  the  hams  to  the  flanks.  The  pig 
in  the  illustration  had  an  extra  dose  of 
iodine  so  the  sides  of  the  V  extend  fur- 
is  given  as  described  above  and  the  virus  is  in¬ 
jected  on  the  left  ham  of  the  pig  at  the  discolor¬ 
ation  on  the  loft  ham  of  the  pig  in  the  illustration. 
QUANTITY  OF  SERUM  USED. — The  amount  of 
night  of  tlie  operation,  and  then  for  the  next  few 
days  are  fed  very  sparingly.  Between  350  and  400 
pigs  have  been  given  the  treatment,  and  in  all  cases 
it  has  always  been  sucessful  when  given  to  healthy 
hogs.  When  a  hog  lias  once  contracted  the  cholera 
the  serum  does  not  seem  to  he  of  much  value.  Hence 
its  great  value  lies  in  its  preventive  power,  and  not 
in  its  curative  power.  In  one  lot  of  200  pigs  400 
had  abscesses  form  at  the  point  of  injection.  Of 
these  all  but  one  broke  themselves  and  the  other 
was  lanced.  This  did  not  retard  the  growth  or 
health  of  the  pigs,  and  was  in  no  way  dangerous. 
In  one  pen  we  treated  40  10-week.s-old  pigs,  and  it 
did  not  seem  to  trouble  them  in  the  least.  These 
pigs  now  average  about  200  pounds  each,  and  if  it 
were  not  for  the  tags  in  the  ears  one  would  not 
know  they  had  ever  been  treated.  r.  a.- p. 
Seeding  to  Alfalfa 
.We  have  a  piece  of  lnml  which  lias  boon  seeded  down 
with  clover  and  Timothy  for  several  years:  the  clover 
has  entirely  run  out  and  tlie  Timothy  has  made  a  poor 
stand  this  year.  We  sowed  a  few  pounds  of  Alfalfa 
seed  with  the  clover  find  Timothy  to  see  if  it  would 
catch,  using  no  culture.  The  Alfalfa  came  up  and 
has  made  vigorous  growth.  It  has  spread  consider¬ 
ably  and  we  now  have  large  patches  all  over  the  field. 
We  wish  to  plow  this  piece  up  ami  seed  down  to  Al¬ 
falfa,  but  there  is  a  little  difference  of  opinion  on  our 
part  as  to  the  best  method  of  cultivating  this  land 
before  seeding.  We  have  never  sown  Alfalfa  and 
would  like  your  advice  on  same. 
A  thinks  that  the  land  should  have  a  good  applica¬ 
tion  of  manure,  then  planted  to  corn  and  sown  to  oats 
next  year,  then  plow  in  the  F’all  and  seed  down  to  Al¬ 
falfa  with  wheat. 
It  thinks  that  this  field  should  be  seeded  down  to 
Alfalfa  this  Fall  with  wheat,  claiming  that  tlie  culti¬ 
vating  under  A's  plan  would  kill  the  bacteria.  Will 
Alfalfa  make  a  vigorous  growth  if  it  is  not  inoculated? 
Will  it  live  at  nllv 
'T^IIE  fact  that 
Administering  the  Serum  Treatment.  Fig.  32 
scrum  used  varies  in  proportion  with  the  weight  of 
the  pigs.  The  approximate  amounts  used  are: 
For  pigs  25  lbs.  in  weight  15  c.  c. 
“  “  100  “  “  “  25  e  e 
Alfalfa 
When  an  animal  appears  to  he  affected  with  the 
cholera  the  dosage  is  increased  50  per  cent. 
EXTENT  ()F  IMMUNITY.' — The  single  treatment 
is  the  safest  and  will  render  the  pig  immune  for 
about  six  months.  The  double  treatment  seems  to 
he  more  lasting,  and  will  render  the  pig  immune 
for  six  to  12  months.  However,  the  virus  or  dis¬ 
ease-carrying  agent  may  do  more  harm  than  good 
and  should  only  he  used  by  a  competent  vetcrin- 
A  Jail  for  Broody  Hens.  Fig.  35 
ovary  of  a  hen  after  one  day’s  broodiness.  No.  2  shows  the  ovary  of  a  hen  after 
broodiness.  No.  3  shows  the  ovary  of  a  hen  after  21  days'  broodiness. 
.No,  $  shows  a  coop  which  is  valuable  for  breaking  broody  hens. 
the  single  treatment  are  tagged  in  the  left  ear.  while  danger  of  I 
those  given  double  treatment  on  right  ear.  killin'-  M 
EXPENSE  AND  AFTER  CARE. — The  serum  writer  lias 
costs  between  two  and  2U  cents  per  cubic  eenti-  |-;m(,  Thor 
meter,  hence  to  treat  a  100-pound  pig  the  cost  would  must  be  use 
he  50  to  03  cents.  The  virus  costs  about  the  same  ai. .........  c 
time  to  register  and  is  removed  and  read.  The  liog 
is  then  marked  by  tag  in  tin*  ear.  This  is  the  “sin¬ 
gle’’  or  serum  treatment. 
THE  DOUBLE  TREATMENT.— In  the  double 
treatment,  the  appearance  of  the  pig  is  noted.  If  the 
temperature  runs  over  104  deg.  or  104.5  deg.  Flu-.,  it 
two  cubic  centimeter.  We  have  usually  given  the 
single  treatment  when  tin*  pigs  were  ten  weeks  old 
and  tin*  double  treatment  to  these  same  pigs  six 
weeks  later.  Thus  tlie  total  cost  of  treatments  for 
i’igs  of  tiiis  size  would  In*  from  70  cents  to  $1.  This 
treatment  renders  the  pigs  immune  for  one  year,  or 
Rermcoa  has  a  dairy  problem.  During  the  Winter 
there  is  a  large  tourist  population — demanding  milk 
and  cream.  About  loO  cows  furnish  the  product,  but 
in  Summer  there  is  little  or  no  demand. 
(  an  you  heat  it?  The  scheme  of  buying  city  stable 
manure,  paying  freight,  hauling  over  bad  roads  and 
spreading  op  bare  ground  when  there  might  have  been 
a  Crop  of  rye,  vetch  and  clover  growing  there ! 
