the greatest importance, not only to the farmers of this State, but to those of other States also.

Dr. Miller. There will be but very little in my paper on the subject of hog cholera. This is a subject to which we have given very little attention, as you will see if you listen to the paper.

I will merely touch upon the diseases which we have with us in this State, and will leave the others, with their different varieties, to be brought out by the discussion. [Dr. Miller's paper is printed in full in the report.]

Mr. Burrough. I think we are peculiarly favored this morning in having with us those who are so well able to give us information on this subject, of so much interest to us all, not only in this but in other States. Besides these gentlemen, I notice we have with us the executive officer of the New Jersey State Board of Health. He has placed himself way back there, in such a position as not to be seen. It looks as though he were trying to hide himself from observation.

Mr. President, I would like to ask the members, and the gentlemen here present, to tell me the best method of disinfecting my stables, where I have had this hog cholera among my hogs. I have suffered considerably from the ravages of this disease among my hogs, and would like to know how to disinfect my pens so it will be safe to use them again. The disease slaughtered all my swine but one. This one also had the disease, but appears to have recovered, and is now apparently in good health. Where I have heretofore kept hogs I am now keeping sheep.

I have been told by my friends that if I whitewash my pens it will thoroughly disinfect them, and that it will overcome this disease. I have been thinking, perhaps, that after the whitewash scaled off the germs would be released, and the disease might begin again, and be as virulent as ever.

They tell us, in one of their circulars, that the freezing of these germs does not destroy them. I would very much like to know what will kill them, or how to disinfect my pens properly.

The Chair. I think Dr. Hunt will be able to answer that question for us.

Dr. Hunt.—I am always glad to appear before the farmers of New Jersey. In listening to the remarks already made here, I flattered myself I would not be expected to say much. I still hope I may only be expected to answer such questions as may be asked in regard to the subject which is now before us.

In regard to the duties of the State Board of Health, perhaps I may call the attention of Mr. Burrough, who was the original drafter of the bill, to some portions of it.

The original design of the bill was only relating to those diseases which may be considered foreign. The law appears to take a very different view of those diseases which are contagious.

For instance, we have on the statute book a law relating to glanders. This disease not only applies to the horse but to human beings as well. However unfortunate it may seem to farmers of this and other States, as soon as this disease appears the horse must be killed immediately, to prevent its spreading among other horses. The disease is fatal not only to the horse, but may also be contracted by human beings, to whom it proves as fatal as to the horse. In regard to having the State pay for the loss of cattle by pleuro-pneumonia, this disease must be classed as a nuisance, and the State should not be called on to pay therefor.

The law, as I understand it, is only intended to apply to those diseases which may be termed foreign. So far as my experience with these diseases is concerned, I think the farmers should receive remuneration for cattle they may lose.

The loss to farmers in this State during the past year from these diseases may be counted by the thousand of dollars' worth-not by one, but by the tens of thousands of dollars' worth.

I do not believe $250,000 would have paid for those lost in this State alone.

It will be well to consider carefully all the features of the case before we ask the Legislature to pass a bill which will require the State to pay for losses to cattle and swine from these contagious diseases. We must remember that it is the taxpayer who has this to pay, and careful thought should be given this subject before it is decided to ask the passage of such a bill.

The farmers in this section prefer to have the law left just as it is. I am not here to suggest legislation, however, and merely make these suggestions with a view to inviting discussion. I lay the matter before you, and leave it in your hands.

Mr. Burrough has referred to an article in our annual report, on page 20, in regard to methods of disinfecting. I wish I could induce you all to read these volumes. You will find much in them that will be of interest to you, and they should be read by every farmer. There

have been volumes upon volumes published upon this subject and you should inspect them carefully.

We have scarcely issued a circular in which we have not called attention to it. The disease is still very bad, and reports show that it has not left the counties where it first started.

The Board of Health of the State does all in its power to aid the farmers with their troubles, and the State appropriates $5,000 to pay the expense of the Board, but they never pay but $1,000 if it can be helped, the other $4,000 being appropriated merely in case of a contingency. If more than the first $1,000 is asked for, the greatest trouble is experienced in procuring it, as it is hedged around with precautions, and dealt out with the greatest care.

It is admitted and recognized that there is no positive remedy for this hog cholera, and yet it is admitted and recognized that there is a means of limitation, and those means have been spoken of and published by this Board in their circulars.

In regard to the letter Mr. Forsythe says he wrote me, every letter was answered, as far as I know. We have carefully attended to this work, so far as we were able to do so, and in the case of this gentleman, upon making inquiry, I found the expense of visiting the place, the hire of a physician or veterinary surgeon, the cost of carriage hire, &c., would not warrant our going, as the disease was one which did not come under the sanitary laws of the State. We answered his letter, as we have answered every letter coming to us. A visit would have cost $50, and we must look at all these facts.

As to our attention to the hog cholera, we have given this the fullest attention, as a perusal of our pamphlet will show, where we have four pages of matter in reference to it. We have gone over the matter as thoroughly and completely as any one can do it.

So far as this swine plague goes, it is an exceedingly interesting thing to physicians. The viscelles (?) which cause this disease were first discovered by Dr. Cline. Neither the physician nor the veterinarian has ever been able to discover any cure for it. I have yet to learn of any physician or veterinarian, who is not a quack, who has ever proposed to cure this disease. We must deal with this disease as we would deal with the scarlet fever. If we cannot master it we must isolate the cases.

If every farmer in the State of New Jersey had obeyed the directions given, there would not have been near the trouble and loss.

If he had, as soon as he found the plague among his swine, taken the proper care that he should, not allow these hogs to remain with the others, had used a different swill-pail for the sick and the well hogs, and had taken other simple precautions to prevent the spread of the disease, it would not have proved so destructive to their hogs. Articles used for the sick hogs, or around them should never be used in connection with those not diseased. Each farmer should allow but one man to attend the well hogs, and he should not be allowed to go near the sick ones. If these precautions had been observed he might have saved three-fourths of his hogs. You will find this the case always. Get a good veterinarian to tell you what to do, and do it. If these measures are adopted, you will greatly decrease the fatality of this disease.

The physicians of this country are busy trying to find out what disinfectants to use in these cases. The results are, that so far but two satisfactory remedies have been found, and these are sulphur and corrosive sublimate. We are all aware that these are valuable remedies, and we all know how to apply them.

The fumes of sulphur are of but little use with swine, as they are kept in open pens; we cannot seal up their quarters in order to have the fumes take proper effect. If we take corrosive sublimate and sprinkle it around the pens carefully, I think you will find this the most important method. The use of zinc wash, and many other disinfectants, are perhaps known to you.

The reports in regard to the hog cholera show that the disease is still doing great damage among the hogs of this State.

It seems wonderful to me how it is kept out of some counties, while it does such wide-spread damage in others.

Those counties where hogs have this disease, will continue to have it, unless farmers will understand that as soon as a case of cholera appears they must isolate the case at once, and use every precaution to prevent the other hogs from catching it. You must isolate, and keep on isolating as long as the disease is around. It may be kept under in this way, and I know of no other. It is probable that it may not appear at all in some parts of the State, in out of the way places. I have experimented in this direction, long before I ever had any connection with the department, and have, since my connection, given it the fullest possible attention. With these remarks, I will now endeavor to answer the questions which have been propounded.

In

my experiments with the diseases of the hog, I have always recognized the fact, that we, as physicians, could not afford to be unfamiliar with the facts in diseases of this nature.

Dr. Hopkins. It seems exceedingly strange to me that Dr. Hunt will throw the honor of anything which may pertain to a cure of diseases which may be occasioning loss to the farmers upon the medical fraternity. It seems to me, when he talks about the curing of diseases, he goes way back. We do not come here before you to tell you that we can cure these diseases, or any disease. We cannot do it. Doctors cannote cure anything.

The means of prevention is the advanced science. It seems to me that this State is so situated that there should be no trouble in keeping out these diseases. What is the use of rigidly examining into the different methods of quarantine, when you have in the simple word "prevention," the whole thing?

There are a great many men in New Jersey who know absolutely nothing of diseases, of their prevention, or their cure. It is not their business to be familiar with these diseases. They have never given it any attention. They depend on the physician for this knowledge.

A farmer wants a certain kind of stock. He goes to market and buys what is there for sale. He knows nothing of the diseases. It is the business of the government to protect that man, and keep him from buying diseased cattle or swine. If that man has been unfortunate, and has brought disease on his place, it is the duty of the government to protect that man's neighbors, equally ignorant, perhaps, of the disease he has to contend with.

Why should any man be allowed to throw diseased animals on the market for sale? Talk about curing disease. That is the way these diseases are cured in New Jersey and in New York-they sell them to whoever will buy them, not knowing what they are buying. I have seen animals exposed for sale in the markets of the large cities, when they have been badly affected with the pleuro-pneumonia. As for hog cholera, why you will find any quantity of it in New York City, right in the markets, too. The hog market of New York is far beyond redemption. Every hog bought in the New York stock market is sure to be more or less affected with this disease, and which will probably develop and spread to the herd to which it is added.

It is necessary for every State to have stringent sanitary laws, and these laws must be rigidly enforced. If the farmer gets disease in his