474 Ahstract Rej)ort of Afjricidtural Discussions. 



were observed. As it is quite likely that the earliest symptoms had 

 escaped notice, the animal had probably been ailing longer than that. 

 The others died at various periods of the disorder, ranging from the 

 8th to the 10th, 12th, 16th, and the longest survivor lingered until the 

 20th day. The outbreak lasted in the whole about six weeks. 



I have said that the symptoms resembled in a general vv'ay those 

 of typhoid fever in man. The pig began to droop and shivered, 

 more or less, distinctly, suddenly became very prostriite, lost it.-j 

 appetite, got thirsty, and seemed very unwilling to be disturbed. 

 The master of the workhouse believed that in the first stage of the 

 disorder these pigs suflcred from headache ; and though this seems 

 to be a curious statement, I have no doubt that it was a correct one ; 

 for one could liardly fail, from their heavy look, the fixed way in 

 •vphich they held their heads, and the resistance they offered to their 

 heads being distiu'bed, to come to the same conclusion. These fii'st 

 symptoms were cither attended or soon followed by profuse diarrhrea : 

 this is one of the leading features of the dise.ise. The discharges 

 were at fii-st of a light yellow, and strikingly resembled the light 

 ochre-yellow discharges that belong to typhoid fever in man. As 

 the disease advanced various modifications in the colour of the evacua- 

 tions ensued. They became more or less of a dark green, and 

 towards the end in many cases of a deep chocolate or dirty red, 

 which tinge arose from the occmTcncc of hemorrhage in the intestinal 

 ulcerations. Since it is important in a disease like this, where 

 investigations are new, to fix upon outward signs that may lead to 

 its early recognition, I will refer to a symptom I regret not having 

 witnessed myself, but which, as I am told, is a constant cha- 

 racteristic of the disorder in its early stage. On, apparently, the 

 second, third, or lourth day, the skin of the pig between and aromid 

 the ears became of a red colom-, passing into various shades of purple 

 or violet. This red tinge gradually spreads over the whole surface 

 of the animal, and is especially conspicuous on the flanks and otlior 

 parts not much covered with hair; and it appears to have earned 

 for the malad}'- a particular sobriq[uet. Two or three pig-factors 

 visited these pigs, and they at once said, " Oh! we know this disease 

 well enough ; we call it the soldier," from a fancied resemblance in 

 the skin of the pig to the military red. 



As the disease advanced, diarrhcta became very profuse ; the pros- 

 tration increased, and I fancy that delirium supervened. The pigs 

 seemed to me to be quite out of their mind, if one may say so. In 

 the later stages of the disorder there is another circumstance which 

 is more or less a characteristic of it. Many of these pigs became 

 partially paralj^sed in their hinder extremities, and so weak as not to 

 bs able to stand. The evacuations became involuntary ; the Aveakness 

 gradually increased ; and the animal sank. So much for the symptoniS 

 dm'ing life. 



* [Through the kindness of the owner, I was enabled to make a more 



* The passage iuchided in brackets did not form part of the original lecture. 

 For the accompanying illustrations we are indebted to the British Medical Asso- 

 ciation. 



