DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 21 



cause to ascertain tlie temperature of a hog, that is not extremely low 

 or in a dying condition, by introducing a tliermometer into the rectum, 

 requires the use of force, because a hog or pig can very seldom be per- 

 suaded to submit to that operation without struggling and without being 

 held ; and struggling, according to my observation, increases the tem- 

 perature of such an irritable animal immediatelj'. The general appear- 

 ance of the animal, if correctly analyzed, is of much more diagnostic 

 and prognostic value than the ditierences of temperature as indicated 

 by tlie thermometer. In diseases of swine the latter is, at best, a nice 

 aiid interesting plaything in the hands of the inexperienced. 



The first symptoms are usually followed within a short time by a 

 partial, and afterwards by a total loss of appetite ; a rough and some- 

 what staring appearance of the coat of hair; a drooping of the 

 ears (characteristic) ; loss of vivacity ; attempts to vomit (in some 

 cases) ; a tendency to root in the bedding, and to lie down in a dark 

 and quiet corner; a dull look of the eyes, which not seldom become dim 

 and injected ; swelling of the head (observed in several cases) ; erup- 

 tions oil the ears and on other i)arts of the body (quite frequent) ; bleeding 

 from the nose (in a few cases); sweUing of the eyelids, and partial or 

 total blindness (in five or six cases); dizziness or apparent pressure 

 upon the brain; accelerated and frequently laborious breathing; more 

 or less constipation, or, in some cases, diarrhea ; a gaunt appearance of 

 the flanks; a pumping motion of the same at each breath; rapid ema- 

 ciation; a vitiated appetite for dung, dirt, and saline substances; in- 

 creased thirst (sometimes) ; accumulation of mucus in the canthi of 

 the eyes (very often at an early stage of the disease); more or less copi- 

 ous discharges from the nose, &c. The peculiar offensive and fetid 

 smell of the exhalations and of the excrements may be considered as 

 characteristic of the disease. This odor is so penetrating as to announce 

 the presence of the disease, especially if the herd of swine is a large 

 one, at a distance of half a mile or even farther, i)rovided the wind is 

 favorable. If the animals are inclined to be costive, the dung is usually 

 grayish or brownish l>lack, and hard ; if diarrhea is present the feces 

 are semi-fluid, and of a grayish-green color, and contain, in some cases, 

 an admixture of blood. In a large number of cases the more tender 

 portions of the skin on the lower surface of the body, between the hind 

 legs, behind the ears, and even on the nose and on the neck, exhibit 

 numerous larger or smaller red spots, or (sometimes) a imiform redness 

 (IJed Soldier of the English). Toward a fatal termination of the dis- 

 ease this redness changes frequently to purple. A physical ex])lorati()n 

 of the thorax reveals, if pleuritis is existing, frequently a plain rubbing 

 sound. As the morbid process progresses the movements of the sick 

 animal become weaker and slower; the gait becomes staggerhig and un- 

 decided ; tlie steps made are short, as if the animal was imable to ad- 

 vance its legs without pain ; sometimes lameness, especially in a hind 

 leg (not very often), and sometimes great weakness in the hind (piarters, 

 or partial paralysis (oftener) make tlieir appearance. The head, if the 

 animal is on its legs, seems to be too heavy to be carried, and is kept in 

 a droo])ing ])osition Avith the nose almost touching the ground ; but as 

 a general rnh^ tlu; diseased animals are usually found lying down in a 

 dark and (juiet corner with tlie nose hid in the bedding. If a fatal ter- 

 mination is ai)i)r(;aeliing, a very fetid diarrhea (usually one or two days 

 before death) takes the i»lace of the ])revious costiveness ; the voice 

 becomes very ]»e('uliar, grows very faint and hoarse ; tlie sick animal 

 manifests a great inditt'erenee to its surroundings, and to what is going 

 ou : emaciation and general debility increase very fast ; the skin (es- 



