390 Missouri Agricultural lleport. 



such a nature, or of too indefinite a character, to be discussed in this 

 bulletin. The others, however, can be discussed with profit. 



Thumps. — This disease is generally due to the overloading of the 

 stomach and lack of exercise. It may be due, however, to other causes, 

 such as worms, etc., but in the great majority of cases is due to over- 

 feeding in close quarters. We find that of the list of replies as to the 

 prevention and cure of thumps, the farmers"who are bothered with this 

 disease are practically unanimous in curing it by limiting the feed and 

 making the pigs take exercise. The majority of the correspondents report 

 that they are not bothered much with this disease when the pigs are on 

 grass. A good pasture is then the best preventive of tliumps if the pigs 

 are not too heavily fed. Of course, if the thumps are due to worms or 

 other causes, the remedies for that cause must be applied. One man re- 

 ports that he has never failed to cure thumps with from three to five 

 drops of Verateum in sweet milk, three times daily. The most general 

 remedy, however, is to find some way to induce or compel the pigs to ex- 

 ercise. 



Scours. — This is a disease caused by bad feeding and unsanitary 

 conditions about the pig's quarters. It may, however, be caused within 

 the first few days after birth by the feverish condition of the sov/ affect- 

 ing the character of the milk. Soured slops, mouldy corn, etc., fed 

 either to the sow or to the pigs, may also cause scours. As this is a dis- 

 ease of feeding and sanitation more than anything else, the provision of 

 clean quarters and good feed for both sow and pigs, is necessary. If 

 the scours are due to fever in the sow, she should be given a dose of 

 castor oil. We get from our replies the following means of curing it : 

 "Change the feed." "Feed slack coal, some sulphur and coperas. " 

 "By careful care." "Don't know any very good remedy; giving the 

 pigs a teaspoonful of alum water does some good." "Give soda, and in 

 extreme cases give laudanum, white of egg and charcoal." First of all 

 the error in feeding should be corrected and then if scours continue, a 

 few drops of laudanum per pig, or one-half to one tablespoonful to the 

 sow, should be given, and the dose repeated, if necessary. 



Lice. — This is a pest that causes the pigs a great deal of annoyance, 

 and often becomes so irritating as to cause them to become unthrifty. 

 The louse is readily killed when the proper treatment is applied. It is 

 more difficult to rid the sleeping quarters of lice than to kill them on the 

 pigs, and as long as the houses are infected the pigs will soon have them 

 again after being cleaned. The most general remedies for lice are crude 

 oil, coal oil, crude petroleum, creolin and the coal tar dips, such as 

 chloro-naptholeum, zenoleum, etc. These dips can be applied with a 

 brush or broom or sprayed upon them, but these methods do not reach 



