SECTION I 

 THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM 



The Mouth and its Associated Parts 



THE mouth of swine is prone to injuries and infection 

 because they are likely to ingest foods in various 

 states of refinement, and not infrequently they 

 consume foreign bodies that may produce such injuries 

 as contusions and lacerations. The comfort and health 

 of swine are not always considered by the feeder, who may 

 thoughtlessly give foods sufficiently hot or cold to produce 

 damage to the buccal mucous membrane. Injuries to 

 this membrane are predisposed to infection that may 

 produce pathologic conditions varying from simple 

 inflammation to suppuration or even necrosis. 



LIPS 



Malformations 



Malformations of the lips of swine are not rare, the 

 most frequent malformation being the condition popularly 

 termed "hair lip" (schistosis labii). This condition is 

 rarely observed in mature swine because the defect 

 renders nursing extremely difficult and frequently im- 

 possible; such pigs, therefore, die before they have passed 

 the nursing stage. Schistosis labii, when not associated 

 with other developmental errors, is usually easily relieved 

 by operation. 



Cheilitis 



The lips are also subject to injuries inflicted by 

 rough foods or by foreign bodies in the food. Wounds, 

 too, may be inflicted by dogs. Because of their location, 

 lip wounds are predisposed to infection. Inflammatory 

 processes of the lips are usually confined to the mucous 

 surface. 



