22 DISEASES OF SWINE AXD OTHER ANIMALS. 



pecially if tiie disease lias been of long duration) beeomes wrinkled, 

 liard, dry, parcliment-like, and very unclean ; a cold clammy sweat 

 breaks ont (observed several times, once as early as forty-eigiit hours 

 before death), and death ensues either under convulsions (coniparativelj'' 

 rare), or .gi-adnally and without any struggle. A peculiar symptom, 

 whicl), however, has been observed only once, in a litter of nine pigs, 

 about a week old, at the beginnuig, or in the first stage of the disease, 

 may here be mentioned. It consisted iri a peculiar and constant twitch- 

 ing of all voluntary muscles. All nine pigs died, and I am sorry that 

 I had no opportunity to make any j>ost mortem examination. 



In some cases numerous erui>tions (ulcerous nodules) appeared on the 

 tender skin on the lower surface of the body between the legs and be- 

 hind the ears, and in a few cases whole pieces of skin (in one case as 

 large as a man's hand) were destroyed by the morbid process, sloughed 

 off, and left behind a raw, ulcerous surface^ In another case a i^art of 

 the lower lip, of the gums, and of the lower jaw-bone had undergone 

 ulcerous destruction. 



Wherever pigs or hogs had been ringed, the wounds thus made showed 

 a great tendency to ulcerate. In several cases the morbid process had 

 caused sufficient ulcerous destruction to form an opening directly into 

 the nasal cavities large enough to enable the animal to breathe through, 

 instead of through the nostrils, which had become nearly closed by 

 swelling and by exudations and morbid products adhering to their 

 borders. 



In those few cases in which the disease has not a tiital termination 

 the symptoms gradually disappear, coughing becomes more frequent and 

 easier ; the discharges from the nose, for a day or two, become copious, 

 but soon diminish, and finally cease altogether; appetite returns, and 

 becomes normal; the offensive smell of the excrements disappears; 

 sores or ulcers that may happen to exist show a tendency to heal ; the 

 animal becomes more lively, and gains, though slowly, in ilesh and 

 strength ; but some difficulty of breathing, and a short, somewhat hoarse, 

 hackmg cough remains for a long time. 



Sipn2)to7ns of special cases. — Experimental pigs Nos. 5 and G, both of 

 the same litter, and about fifteen weeks old, were fed on the sixth day 

 of September with the stomach, cut in pieces, the ctecum, and the spleen 

 of experimental pig No. 2, which had died the same day. 



September 7.— Pig No. 5 coughs a little, but eats well ; pig No. 6 has 

 a slight catarrh ; some yellow mucus in inner canthus of one eye. 



September 8. — Both pigs the same as yesterday. 



September 0. — Both pigs have Very good appetite. 



September 10. — Both pigs seem to be as well as possible; consume all 

 theh' food greedily. 



September 11. — Botli pigs apparently hcaltliy ; neither one shows any 

 symptoms of disease. 



September 12.— Both pigs evidently sick; they are tardy in tlieir move- 

 ments; tl)eir ears are drooping; their appetite diminished. Tig No. 5 

 made atbMnpts to vomit. 



September i;i._Both pigs, but especially pig No. 5, are very sick; take 

 scarcely any food ; sliow a tendency to hide themselves iii a corner ; 

 coat of hair looks rongh and staring; flanks are thin ; accumulation of 

 mucus in the inner canthi of the eyes. No. 6 has discharges from the 

 nose, especially from the right nostril. 



September 14.— Pig No. 5, both eyes nearly closed ; is weak, though not 

 very ; emaciates rapidly ; appetite is poor. No. lias its eyes yet' open ; 

 otherwise about the same as No. 5. 



