INOCULATION'AS A PREVENTIVE OF SWINE DISEASES. 75 
estimates, there are 5,275,000 hogs in Illinois, and to protect 
these by inoculation would cost $2,637,000. In the year 1888 
the total loss of hogs in that State from all diseases was about 
316,500, with an average value of $7.45 each, which would 
make the loss for that year $2,359,925. Deduct a loss of 3 
per cent, of all the hogs in the State as caused by ordinary 
diseases, and we find that this would amount to 158,250 hogs, 
worth $1,178,962. Deducting the losses caused by ordinary 
diseases from the total losses from all diseases and we have 
$1,180,963 left to represent the loss from both hog cholera 
and swine plague. Take from this one-third to represent the 
loss from swine plague, and we have remaining as the loss 
from hog cholera about the sum of $800,000. To prevent 
this loss by inoculation, as we have seen, would require $2,- 
637,000, or more than three times the sum to be saved. 
While it is evident from these figures that inoculation can 
not be recommended for general adoption under the condi¬ 
tions in which the operation must now be performed, it is 
conceivable that there may be special cases in which it may 
be found advantageous, provided its protective power is fully 
demonstrated. At distillery establishments where large num¬ 
bers of hogs are purchased for feeding, and where the losses 
are necessarily heavy from epizootic diseases, inoculation 
might prove an economic measure, but before deciding this 
question it would be necessary to have more definite data in 
regard to the average loss in these establishments. 
Again, inoculation might prove efficacious in cases where 
considerable numbers of hogs are purchased at a distance by 
farmers for feeding. In this case there are unusual oppor¬ 
tunities for infection during transportation, and experience 
shows that the loss from epizootic diseases is unusually heavy. 
Here also it would require considerable experience before it 
would be possible to say whether the operation would be a 
financial benefit. 
The operation is also being tried by breeders of thorough¬ 
bred swine in some sections. In this case there are animals 
of much more than average value to be protected, and, at first 
sight, it would appear that an outlay of 50 cents per head 
