spread by a germ called the Bacillus suis, a minute organism microscopic in size and described by Pasteur to resemble a short rod with rounded ends. It is found in all the fluids and tissues of an animal afflicted with this plague and never in healthy animals. This germ has been successfully attenuated; that is weakened and prepared by Pasteur (the celebrated French scientist), so that it now can be introduced into healthy animals without danger, producing in them a mild form of the disease, after which it is claimed that they acquire immunity, or if they take the disease it will develop in a mild form only.

Inoculation for this disease has been successfully performed by Prof. Law and by Klein with a modified virus, but whether the inoculated animals afterward were proof against the invasions of the disease I never learned.

Early in October, 1885, I was furnished with Pasteur's swine plague virus, procured from his laboratory in Paris.

On November 2 I inoculated twenty-six pigs, varying in age from five to six months, at the college farm, with what is called the first vaccine, and with the second vaccine ten days later.

On November 4, 18, 24, and December 1 each, one of the inoculated animals was killed, and post mortem and microscopic examinations made. The microscopic examinations were made by Prof. Charles Bessey with the aid of the University microscope, the only one in this section of the country with which reliable scientific work can be done. In all the post mortem examinations there were lesions of swine plague, well but not extensively marked. In the virus as well as in the blood and serum of the inoculated animals, and the blood and serum of animals dying with the plague, Prof. Bessey found the same identical germ, showing conclusively that the pigs had become truly inoculated, and that the swine disease of France is the same disease as ours. The inoculated animals are now exposed to the ravages of the disease, as five diseased animals furnished by J. J. Imhoff were placed among them on the 12th instant. Two uninoculated animals also have been allowed to intermingle with the diseased and inoculated ones. This number is hardly sufficient for a fair test, and I hope that not less than twenty healthy animals will be placed

with the others. Two of Mr. Imhoff's animals have succumbed to the disease.*

The German government made experiments with Pasteur's virus last year, and the results were reported satisfactory.

His method of preparing the swine plague virus is known to but few of the profession at present.

Having learned that my friend Billings was with Pasteur studying his method of preparing hydrophobia virus, I cablegrammed him to endeavor to secure Pasteur's method of preparing swine plague virus. A few days ago I received a reply from him stating that he had met with success.

PREVENTION.

How can we get rid of swine plague in this state? Gentlemen, I will answer this question in a brief manner, and state that until the benefits to be derived from inoculation have been thoroughly tested, it is absolutely necessary that every animal diseased with swine plague be killed, and all others that have been exposed thereto be slaughtered under the supervision of an inspector; the enforcement of quarantine regulations, and compulsory disinfection of all infected places. I may here mention that the above statement is in accord with the opinions of the best veterinarians of France, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.

In England, like here, within the past few years swine plague has decimated their herds, and the "British privy council," on November 15, 1885, was, so to speak, compelled to adopt the following order:

66 COMPULSORY SLAUGHTER BY LOCAL AUTHORITY.

"1. Notwithstanding anything in the animal order of 1884, swine fever amendment, every local authority in England and Wales and Scotland shall, within two days after the disease is known to them, cause to be slaughtered: (a.) All swine within their district that any time during the month of December, 1885, are affected with swiné fever; and, (b.) All swine within their district being or having been any time during the month of December, 1885, in the same pig sty or shed, or in contact with any swine affected with swine fever.

at

*Since writing the above five (5) of the inoculated animals have died of the disease.

"2. The local authority shall, out of the local rate, pay compensation as follows for swine slaughtered under this order: (a.) Where the pig slaughtered was affected with the swine fever the compensation shall be one-half its value immediately before it became so affected, but so that the compensation do not in any such case exceed forty shillings. (b.) In every other case the compensation shall be the value of the pig immediately before it was slaughtered, but so that the compensation do not in any such case exceed four pounds."

Swine fever was reported to be rapidly diminished at the time the above order was adopted, the average of swine attacked having fallen from 1,755 in one week in June, to 559 in the week ending November 14. The Live Stock Journal, commenting upon this latest effort to thoroughly exterminate the disease, says:

"Local authorities should be urged to do their duty in a thoroughly efficient manner. They should be ruthlessly exacting at all points. What is to be feared most is that the cleansing and disinfection in some cases will be of a careless and perfunctory character. The virus of swine fever is most difficult to eradicate, and the majority of pig stys are almost impossible to cleanse and purify. Careful watch should also be made of all infected premises, that there be no smuggling of pigs into them before the termination of the legally defined time of the twenty-eight days, and then only on being perfectly assured that the work of sanitation has been satisfactorily completed. If pig owners and local authorities do their duty, we shall be nearly, if not entirely, rid of the pestilence by the end of the year.”

In view of this subject I will conclude my remarks by once more calling your attention to the importance of inoculation and benefit to be derived therefrom, should it prove to be a success, and therefore hope to see the efforts of the live stock sanitary commission and myself, aided by this board, in continuing these experiments and our endeavor to secure the method of preparing swine virus, so that it can be made and supplied by our department for the benefit and use of every swine breeder and farmer in the state.

EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

FISH COMMISSION OF NEBRASKA.

FOR THE YEAR 1886.

SANTEE FISHERY, December 31, 1886.

In presenting their Eighth Annual Report of the work of the Nebraska Fish Commission, the commissioners beg leave to commend the very intelligent and efficient labors of Superintendent Martin E. O'Brien, by whose large experience and faithful attention the work of the commission has been carried forward with the most gratifying results since the last meeting of the legislature.

It is indeed a matter of congratulation that so much has been accomplished with the small appropriation asked by the commission, and generously given by the legislature two years ago. The expenditure of the money appropriated for building and repairing ponds, stone dams, improvements to the dwelling house, hatching house, facilities for handling fish eggs, rearing and distributing fish, and complete success, all testify to his forecast, prudence, and integrity. No instance has come to the knowledge of the commission of the needless or careless expenditure or misappropriation of a single dollar of the state's money by him. Yet we are free to say that the salary now paid to him, nine hundred dollars a year, is inadequate to the requirements of the position he occupies, as well as the increased demands and responsibilities of the work demanded of him. It is not the work of an amateur or of common experience that any one may successfully perform. It requires a technical knowledge of the occult science of fish culture, coupled with practical experience, to attain success, both of

which Mr. O'Brien possesses in an eminent degree, and which in equal degree in any other practical science, in mechanics or therapeutics, would command several times the compensation now paid in this very important work. The commissioners believe that the foregoing considerations justly entitle him to a much larger salary, and recommend that it be raised to at least twelve hundred dollars per annum.

CARP CULTURE.

The growth of this branch of the work needs only to be epitomized to show its importance.

In 1884 the commissioners furnished this valuable fish to thirtytwo persons who had constructed ponds suitable for taking care of them. The number of fish furnished for that purpose was 640, or 20 to each person. They were distributed nearly all over the settled portions of the state, or in about twenty counties.

In 1885 the number of persons receiving carp from the commissioners was 95, to whom were delivered 2,745 fish, embracing a much broader area of the state than those of the year before.

In 1886 the number of persons supplied was 250, to whom have been delivered or sent by express 8,720 fish.

These fish are usually distributed in the months of October and November, and at the time of distribution are four or five months old and will measure two or three inches long.

The commission has experienced great difficulty in obtaining reports from persons receiving fish. This no doubt is largely attributable to the fact that the fish have been put into the ponds and left to take care of themselves, and their owners not being provided with the means of ascertaining whether their fish have lived or died, are not able to make any intelligible report of them. But many persons have reported, and generally their reports contain facts that are very encouraging. No case has been reported of a failure, except in case of accident or misfortune. In a few instances the fish have died or been destroyed by some unknown cause, but the ratio of success as shown by letters accompanying this report, is truly wonderful, and establishes the fact that the carp is truly and eminently the farmer's fish.