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breeder habitually provides facilities that allow vaccinating to be done without loss of time, the cost per head can be kept at a minimum. The veterinarian who so advises his clients as to bring these things about is the only one who can hope to enlarge his swine practice and gain lasting success in hog cholera work. A system of wireless which we do not completely understand, but which nevertheless spreads intelligence rapidly and unerringly in country districts, will, in each veterinarian's community ultimately convey the news that immunizing pays, or that it does not pay; and the veterinarian must have it whispered abroad that immunizing their herds pays his clients or he will "kill the goose that lays the golden egg."

CHAPTER X

HOG CHOLERA, MEAT INSPECTION AND GARBAGE

FEEDING

HOG cholera is a widespread disease affecting just one species of animal used solely to produce meat for human food, and its status as far as meat inspection is concerned is necessarily well established. The following paragraphs from Edelmann1 set forth the broader principles which govern the formulation of more detailed and specific regulations which are in force in various abattoirs throughout the country:

"Judgment of the meat in swine erysipelas swine plague and hog cholera. In view of the fact that meat of these diseased animals has frequently been eaten for food without ever having incurred any impairment or injury to man, it can hardly be classed as injurious to health. In individual cases however the following should be considered:

"1. The entire carcass is unfit for food as soon as marked substantial changes (congestion of blood, serous infiltration, degeneration, yellow discoloration) of the musculature or fatty tissue are observed or when marked emaciation has occurred.

1Edelman, Meat Hygiene (English translation by Mohler and Eichhorn; 2d edition, 1911).

"2. In all other cases, with the exception of the chronic forms of swine plague and the sequelae of this disease and those of hog cholera, the carcass in all of these diseases is to be considered fit for food but subject to certain conditions. For veterinary sanitary reasons, and partly in consideration of the causative agents in the blood of swine erysipelas, swine plague and the acute forms of hog cholera, the meat and fat are to be boiled, steamed (rendered into lard) or pickled. The portions affected by the disease should be condemned.

"3. In case of slow chronic forms of swine plague without disturbance of the general condition, or sequelæ of this disease (adhesions, cicatrices, capsulated caseated areas etc.) or of hog cholera (caseation of mesenteric lymph glands, adhesions of intestines, formation of cicatrices in the intestinal mucosa) only the affected portions of the meat are to be condemned and destroyed. The remainder of the carcass is fit for feed without any restriction."

It will be observed that swine plague and swine erysipelas are governed by the same general considerations that apply to hog cholera. In view of the fact that swine plague occurs most frequently as a complication of hog cholera as well as of the fact that rapid differentiation of all three diseases based on abattoir examinations alone is not possible, it is fortunate indeed that these diseases run so nearly parallel in their relation to meat inspection.

From the excerpt from Edelmann we glean the following essential considerations: first, the fitness of the meat for human food is based on patho

logical changes in the meat itself, and is not determined by the probable presence or absence of the causative agents of hog cholera, swine plague or swine erysipelas; second, carcasses of hogs which before slaughter were obviously suffering with any one of the three diseases, may, in the absence of extensive pathological changes in the meat itself be passed for human food, but for veterinary sanitary reasons it should be boiled, rendered or pickled in order to destroy causative agents of either of the three animal diseases which it may contain.

A review of these facts leads logically to the conclusion that as far as hog cholera is concerned there is, and can be, no sharp line of demarcation between carcasses that are fit for human food and those which are unfit, because it has not been shown that hog cholera virus is injurious to man. The more important phase of meat inspection as it applies to hog cholera centers around the decision which determines whether a particular carcass requires special treatment (boiling, rendering or pickling), in order that parts of it may not subsequently infect other swine. Edelmann states clearly the need for a distinction between the fit and the unfit based solely on veterinary sanitary reasons, but he is silent as to how this distinction is to be made.

The U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry meat in

spection regulations are much more specific in regard to the manner in which the distinction between the fit and the unfit shall be drawn, but the distinction is based wholly on considerations dealing with the fitness of the meat for human food. Veterinary sanitary considerations, which would include atempts to require cooking or rendering of all carcasses which contain hog cholera virus, do not enter in. The parts of these regulations which refer specifically to hog cholera read as follows:

"Regulation 9, section 2, paragraph 2. All hogs plainly showing on ante-mortem inspection that they are affected with either hog cholera or swine plague shall be marked 'U. S. condemned' and disposed of in accordance with section 8 of this regulation.

"Regulation 9, section 2, paragraph 3. If a hog has a temperature of 106° F. or higher, and if it is of a lot in which there are symptoms of either hog cholera or swine plague, in case of doubt as to the cause of the high temperature, after being marked for identification, it may be held for a reasonable time, under supervision of an inspector, for further observation and taking of temperature. Any hog so held shall be reinspected on the day it is slaughtered. If upon such reinspection, or, when not held for further observation and taking of temperature, then on the original inspection, the hog has a temperature of 106° F. or higher, it shall be condemned and disposed of in accordance with section 8 of this regulation.

"Regulation 9, section 2, paragraph 6. All animals which, on ante-mortem inspection, do not plainly show, but are suspected of being affected with, any disease or

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