THE MOST COMMON DISEASES OF SWINE 535 



should be followed wdierever swine are kept. In tl'.e 

 first place, every precaution should be taken to raise hogs 

 of strong vitality, and this is to be accomplished by using 

 robust breeding stock, not too closely related, Ijut 

 changed often enough to prevent the weaknesses sure to 

 result from consanguineous breeding. Next, the hogs 

 at all stages of life should be fed in such a way as to in- 

 duce full exercise of the excretory organs, and inciden- 

 tally or primarily of the respiratory organs, that the 

 blood circulation may be active and the blood pure. 

 The surroundings of hogs are to be kept as clean and 

 free from germs as possible; the food and drinking water 

 must be protected against germ contamination ; worms 

 are to be prevented or destroyed ; indigestion is to be 

 avoided so far as possible, and all known sources of the 

 specific germs of cholera, swine plague, etc., are to be 

 excluded from the premises. 



"Medicine is an afterthought and used mostly when 

 trouble has been observed. It seldom is effective where 

 actual disease is absent, and if used strongly as a pre- 

 ventive, is apt to cause conditions conducive to disease. 

 For these reasons, the less medicine hogs are required 

 to take, the better will it be for them, provided they arc 

 properly fed and cared for. disinfectants and whitewash 

 frequently and freely used about the pens, the drink- 

 ing water is pure, the food suitable, well-balanced and 

 free from germ contamination or conditions likely to 

 cause derangement of the digestive organs. It is right 

 and beneficial, however, to mix a disinfectant in the 

 slop now and then as a preventive, and hogs have been 

 found to take readily to slop impregnated wdth coal tar 



