farmers' institutes. 733 



troubles. For example, active pigs seldom have thumps. It is the lazy, 

 fat fellows that are particularly susceptible. 



Care and Feeding.— These are factors of great importance. The feed- 

 ing of unsuitable foods, as city swill; dirty, sour slop; those containing 

 large quantities of soaps; feeding too heavily when too young; feeding 

 full rations of green corn as soon as it is ready; feeding cotton seed; 

 feeding with too limited exercise; pasturing upon clover sod, where there 

 are many grul) worms, and upon land known to be infected witli para- 

 sites, are all factors contributing to some forms of disease. 



Shelter.— -Sudden changes of temperature, extremes of heat and cold, 

 exposure to storms, etc., all have their effect. Piling under straw stacks 

 and hot sheds predisposes to pneumonia. Lying in damp beds cause skin 

 troubles. The hog does not need a great deal of sheltei', but needs that 

 dry and comfortable. 



Location.— Sometimes the difference of a few rods makes the difference 

 between having disease in a herd and not having it. A dry, protected site 

 is always preferable to one in the open or low. 



Water Supply.— The work of this station has been such as to prove 

 that only well water, deep well water from a tubular well, can be recom- 

 mended for all kinds of farm animals. This applies witli possibly greater 

 force to the hog tlian to any other class, because cholera, a water-borne 

 disease, is the principal scourge. In actual practice, however, the re- 

 verse condition prevails. 



Previous Disease.— The effect of one attack of one infectious disease 

 as a rule confers immunity against a subsequent attack. This is not 

 true of all, but of many. One attack of cholera will not give complete 

 Immunity, but does reduce the chances of a second attack. The effect 

 of one disease may weaken a part and make the animal susceptible to 

 some other trouble, as lung worms may make it easy to acquire pneu- 

 monia. 



Vital Causes.— The vital causes are all living organisms, either plant 

 or animal, that act as parasites at any stage of their existence. They 

 may l)e either accessory or direct causes. The animal parasites are lice, 

 intestinal worms, flukes, trichinae, etc. The plant parasites are nearly all 

 bacteria; the cause of cholera, swine plague, scours, joint disease, sore 

 mouth, etc. They may act as accessory causes, as the lung worm may 

 prej)aro the way for pneumonia, or directly cause it, as in the case of 

 cholera germ. 



Diagnosis and Symptoms.— In examining a hog the behavior, appear- 

 ance, general conditions and surroundings must all be taken under con- 

 sideration. 



The grouping of symptoms into signs of disease Is not as difficult in 

 the hog as !t is in some of the other farm animals, but in order to recog- 

 nize devi.'ition from the normal, we must be familiar with the habits of 

 the animal, the structure and the physiological functions of the body. 



