882 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
animal to be fed on soft diet. Dressed wound twice per day 
with a carbolic solution. Next day abdomen began to swell 
and continued doing so for four or five days, reaching as far as 
and extendiv^ell up sides ; swelling of an oedema- 
tous character. Applied hot fomentations and poultices. About 
fifth day pus began to flow from wound and continued to do so 
for two weeks. Dressed wound with carbolized oil. Swelling be¬ 
gan to recede and in four weeks animal made complete recover}’. 
After some discussion on the case, the Chairman called upon 
Mr. Hammond for his essay on Hog Cholera and Swine 
Plague.” In this interesting essay Mr. Hammond clearly de¬ 
fined the differences existing between these two diseases, 
although to a great extent they resembled each other ; as it 
required an examination of the internal organs after death to 
clearly distinguish between them, and owing to the similarity 
of the two diseases could not say what proportion of the loss 
entailed by these diseases could be attributed to the one and 
what to the other, as hog cholera and swine plague not only 
resemble each other in symptoms, but also in their effect on the 
bodies of the affected animals. Both were caused by germs and 
both germs must be combatted by similar means to destroy them 
after they have been introduced upon the premises. Both 
diseases were infectious and had to be treated along similar 
lines and the agents used to destroy the germ of one would de¬ 
stroy that of the other. Mr. Hammond said that of the other 
infectious diseases which sometimes attack hogs, they had not 
been introduced into this country, or have never approached in 
their destructive character the two diseases named. The 
erysipelas of the continent of Europe appears to be the most 
fatal of the swine diseases, in the country where it is known, 
but has, however, never been recognized in America and prob¬ 
ably never introduced into this country. Anthrax occasion¬ 
ally affected hogs, but was infrequent and confined to certain 
regions and affected other animals besides. This and erysipelas 
were the only diseases liable to be mistaken for hog cholera and 
swine plague. 
The virus of hog cholera was particularly more fatal to 
young pigs, was more tenacious and more resisting to the con¬ 
ditions which affect the vitality of bacteria than that of swine 
plague and was more easily communicated and spread to healthy 
animals. ^ Period of incubation varied between four and twenty 
days, during which time the germs were multiplying slowly, 
and overcoming the vital powers of the animal by their pro- 
