1917] VETERINARY MEDICINE, 279 



which has been reported from western North Dakota and South Dakota, Wash- 

 ington, Minnesota, and western Canada. 



The affected pigs when born are of full size and occasionally larger than 

 normal. They are, however, strikingly weak and low in vitality, although 

 born of apparently normal sows. Except for a few hairs on the nose and a 

 few around the eyes, the skin is smooth, shiny, and bald. This hairless con- 

 dition is, however, very variable. The skin, particularly around the shoulders, 

 is thick and feels pulpy, but on incision no fluid escapes, although it appears 

 edematous. The hoofs are thin-walled, short, brittle, and in an undeveloped 

 condition. The thyroid is dark red and sometimes almost black, and histological 

 examination shows a uniform hyperplasia and a distention of the blood vessels. 

 Chemical examination of the thyroids showed the iodin content to be extremely 

 low in comparison with normal glands. In general, the iodin content of a 

 diseased gland was found to vary inversely with the hairlessness of the animal. 

 The glands of the affected pigs also showed a large accumulation of iron. 

 The data are presented in tabular form. 



Pregnant sows in the affected districts which were fed potassium iodid 

 and desiccated sheep thyroid in the last four or live weeks before farrowing 

 gave birth to strong and vigorous young, while the joung of the control animals 

 were weak, dull, and lacked vitality. The significauce of the iodin feeding is 

 discussed. 



It is concluded in general that an iodin deficiency during the gestation period 

 causes a lack of function and hyperplasia of the fetal thyroid, resulting In an 

 arrested development of the fetus. " If more iodin were fed to the pregnant 

 animals in large sections of this continent, especially during the winter months, 

 the young that they produce would be more healthy and more vigorous and 

 the large number of weak and defective young animals that are produced 

 annually would be greatly reduced. Fetal athyrosis presents strong evidence 

 that there is a direct relation between the physiologically active constituents 

 of the thyroid and growth of the epidermal appendages. An abundant secre- 

 tion ot the fetal thyroid, during the later stages of the intrauterine life, is 

 essential for the normal development of the fetus." 



The spirochetes of the digestive tract of swine and their relation to hog 

 cholera, P. Beicensxy {Rec. Med. V6t., 92 {1916), No. 19, pp. 545-552).— The 

 author has examined the intestinal tract of 100 hogs at an abattoir and found 



j spirochetes in 58 per cent of the cases. The .spirochetes were found not only 

 in animals affected with hog cholera but also in animals affected with other 

 diseases. It is indicated that in hog cholera these organisms might provoke 



• a secondary infection (as is often the ca.se in infectious diseases), but that 

 the disease is fundamentally due to the invisible microorganism. The data 



I obtained are discussed in some detail. 



Swine fever, J. O. Powlet {Vet. Rec, 29 {1917), No. 1497, pp. 383-390).— 



I This is a general discussion of the .subject under the topics of history, etiologj', 



I semeiology, post-mortem appearances, diagnosis, methods of infection, treat- 



I ment, eflBcacy of serum, and a brief account of the preparation of serum. 



I A granulomatous affection of the horse — habronemic granuloniata (cutane- 

 ous habronemiasis of Railliet), L. B. Bull {Jour. Compar. Path, and Ther., 

 29 {1916), No. 3, pp. 187-199, figs. 5).— "The granulomatous condition found 

 on the penis and sheath, and infrequently in other situations, has the same 

 etiology as summer sores. The parasite associated with the condition is a 

 larval nematode of the genus Habronema. This parasite is accidental, and prob- 

 ably can not maintain its life for longer than four weeks. The parasite is 

 almost certainly carried by a biting fly, and is accidentally inoculated during 

 the feeding operations of the fly. The tissue reaction following the introduction 



