measles 'sow took the measles'

Subject: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Charcloth
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 08:47 AM

There is a song that goes back to about the time of the American Revolutionary War, called "The Sow took the Measels" (and died in the spring) Now I have read somewhere that long ago the name "measels" refered to alot of things including small pox. So I have a few questions, 1)was this song refering to small pox or the German measles or something else 2)do hogs & people catch the same type from each other, 3)when was the small pox vacination first used [I know that it was administered on the Lewis & Clark expedition- but how much earlier does it date] Thanks all Charcloth

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Click for lyrics (2 versions)

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Jeri
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 09:10 AM

"Measles" these days refers to Rubeola. What we normally call "German Measles," Rubella is less severe. Rubeola is a solely human disease, so the sow probably had something else.

I can find little information about smallpox. Since the last naturally-occuring case was in 1977, authors of modern medical books, or at least the one I have, don't seem to spend much time on it. I know there are various "poxes," and some certainly infect animals. I believe the vaccine was made from one of these less-severe-in-humans strains, the "vaccinia virus." I've got a medical book in a box in the basement published in 1908, but there's little hope of locating it this year.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: MMario
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 09:54 AM

there are a number of diseases referred to as "measles" in swine. though neither true "measles" nor rubella are able to be contracted by pigs - (which is one of the reasons they should be able to stamp them out in humans) one of the "measles" that pigs get is thought to be ancestral to the virus that causes measles in humans. the most common "measles" in pigs is actually a parasitic infection and is caused by cysts formed by tapeworm larvae

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 10:01 AM

"Measles" in this context would be a disease of swine and cattle, caused by larval tapeworms; these encyst in the tissue and render the meat unusable.  Sometimes, presumably, the animal dies of the infection.

An unpleasant thought.  The song -or rather, just the one verse- is also well-known in the UK, and often sung with, I imagine, no thought that anything other than the other "measles" (the childhood disease, more common than Rubella or "German" measles) is meant.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 10:02 AM

I might have known we'd both know that one!

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 10:41 AM

great song, too, just looked it up.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 12:38 PM

When I saw the title, I thought the song would be kin to the kids' rhyme to "the Keel Row" (not that I can remember much of it these days).

Walrus

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 02:53 PM

The cat's got the measles, the measles, the me-ea-sles,The cat's got the measle's, The measles got the cat.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Charcloth
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 03:05 PM

OK so does any one know who created the small pox vacine or even when vacines period were first started

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 03:05 PM

Did I really misplace that last apostrophe? Abject apologies!

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: jeffp
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 04:08 PM

The smallpox vaccine is credited to Edward Jenner.

This, from the Thomas Cooper Library, University of South Carolina:

The year 1996 marked the two hundredth anniversary of Edward Jenner's first experimental vaccination--that is, inoculation with the related cow-pox virus to build immunity against the deadly scourge of smallpox.

Edward Jenner (1749-1823), after training in London and a period as an army surgeon, spent his whole career as a country doctor in his native county of Gloucestershire in the West of England. His research was based on careful case-studies and clinical observation more than a hundred years before scientists could explain the viruses themselves. So successful did his innovation prove that by 1840 the British government had banned alternative preventive treatments against smallpox. "Vaccination," the word Jenner invented for his treatment (from the Latin vacca, a cow), was adopted by Pasteur for immunization against any disease.

In the eighteenth century, before Jenner, smallpox was a killer disease, as widespread as cancer or heart disease in the twentieth century but with the difference that the majority of its victims were infants and young children. In 1980, as a result of Jenner's discovery, the World Health Assembly officially declared "the world and its peoples" free from endemic smallpox.

Hope this helps

jeffp

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Charcloth
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 06:01 PM

Just in case you are wondering I am putting together some songs in context to their historical happenings to illustrate some historical events & tell a story. Thanks again

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 28 Sep 01 - 07:38 PM

We do that song to point out to kids that in the colonial period folks didn't make mountains of garbage like we do today (at least we do in America). They couldn't afford to make a lot of garbage. So, when the sow took the measles and died, it's owner recycled it. In our version, the last verse says, "What do you think I made of her feet? The very best pickles that you ever did eat." This usually grosses out the kids and us as well. We're especially grossed out now that Malcom Douglas has pointed out that this disease in pigs renders the meat unusable.

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: MMario
Date: 29 Sep 01 - 08:20 AM

Bev - during colonial times the most likely "measles" that the sow would have died of would have been a virus that caused a pnemonia like condition - rather then the more common (now) parasitic infection. - And pickled pigs feet were and are a treasured delicacy by many.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 29 Sep 01 - 02:14 PM

Mmario:

Well, treasured by some maybe. Each time we do the song we ask the kids if anyone has ever eaten pickled pigs feet and in the rare case that someone says yes, we ask them if they think they're good. Responses usually range from "Yuk" to "no" but, on occasion, someone says "yes'". On the other hand, we often see them for sale in markets and they wouldn't be there if no one bought them.

We must confess that we've never tried them so what do we know anyway?

Bev and Jerry

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Abby Sale
Date: 29 Sep 01 - 06:32 PM

Charcloth: Wander over to Dick Gaughan's pages Clicky and look at the "Happy!" file. You may get some ideas. The actual File has about 50 times as much material. Let me know if I can help with any parrticular event or song. Then for fewer (but still many) but in-depth historical references to US folksong, check Manfred Helfert's excellent History In Song.

The "Happy!" file tells me Jenner's 1st innoculation was May 1, 1796 and the smallpox vaccine was made generally available Jan 21, 1799.

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Gareth
Date: 29 Sep 01 - 06:50 PM

Tape worm cysts - pig suffering this infection were known as "Measeled" and only detectable on butchering - or thats what me brother says - and he manages a PIg "Factory Farm" nr Oxford UK.

BTW his contract gives him a butchered pig every 6 months, some years ago he'd had his pig, but there was not enough room in his deep freeze. I was deputised to drive over to Oxford to collect the surplus for the rest of the tribe.

On me way back to Wales I was stopped by the Police. ( Well it was in the early hours of the morning)

"Routine Check, Sir, would you mind telling me who you are and the purpose of your journey"

What could I say !!!

Gareth

Subject: RE: measles 'sow took the measles'
From: Charcloth
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 02:41 PM

Way Cool thanks Abby
Charcloth