DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 151 



divided into two classes, hygienic and medicinal. The whole secret of 

 snccess in preventing the inception of contagious diseases by hygienic 

 care, as has been already pointed out, can be included under two rales, 

 viz., keep the system of the animal in a healthy state, and avoid expos- 

 ing it to poisonous, contagions influences. We have already shown how 

 the first rule can be followed with success— by fresh, uncontaminated 

 air, suitable food, fresh water, seasona-ble exercise, and avoidance of 

 low, damp places for sleeping quarters ; also avoidance of those causes 

 in breeding whicli are known to engender the scrofulous diathesis. The 

 second requires that all dead organic matter, such as straw, hay, litter, 

 and other matter, which is liable to catch the poisonous fungi floating in 

 the air or canned along by the wind, should be kept away from the 

 animal. All strange hogs must be kept in quarantine for fourteen days 

 before being allowed to run witli healthy herds. If there is any disease 

 in the vicinitj', especial care must be taken that no man, vehicle, or 

 animal from infected localities be allowed to pass over meadows where 

 healthy hogs are allowed to range ; and if any stream passes through 

 your range from an infected district, the stock must be IvCpt from the 

 water, as water will hold the poison and keep it alive for a considerable 

 time. The yards and j)ens where the swine stay at night must be kept 

 clean of cobs or other organic matter, so that the rains can wash the 

 surface clean. All swine, either brood-sows, slioats, or pigs, not in gen- 

 eral health, or showing evidences of debility, should be kept away from the 

 drove and carefully treated, the causes of sickness removed and effects 

 remedied. No medical treatment can be positively recommended as a 

 preventive for contagious diseases. Remedies may be used to correct 

 any derangements of system, as has already been recommended — soda, 

 if the tongue is broad, flabby, and pale; acids, if the tongue is narrow, 

 red, and contracted. In sows worn down with nursing, nothing can have 

 abetter effect and improve their condition more rapidly than soda and 

 sweet milk or buttermilk. If the bowels are constipated, Glauber salts 

 may be given in doses of one-half to one ounce to each hog, or one pound 

 to every thirty hogs, once a. day, until tlie bowels are acted npon. Salt 

 should be furnished to all swine, in small quantities, every day. If any 

 contagious disease is in the near vicinity, hyi^osulphite of soda in milk 

 or fresh slop, given every morning on an empty stomach, otters the most 

 reasonal)le hope as a ])reventive, and if the disease is diphtheria or 

 typhoid, belladonna should be added. There is much difference of 

 0])inion in regard to the power of belladonna to prevent the spread of 

 the se]itic diseases, diphtheria and scarlet fever. From my own obser- 

 vation I base the belief that it is a i^ositive preventive or prophylactic, 

 and on tliat account I extend its use to swine, and have recommended 

 its regular use in small doses whenever diphtheria or tyi)hoid was prevail- 

 ing. As a preventive, the following w^ould be a good formula foi- general 

 use: Saturated solution of hyposulphite of soda, one gallon; tincture of 

 belladonna, one fluid ounce. Ofthis mixture, give one gill to every twenty 

 hogs in slop every morning on an em])ty stomach. Believing that all the 

 contagious diseases are received into the system through the mucous mem- 

 brane, and that any agent having ]>ower to destroy these minute fungi 

 before tlieir absorption will prevent the disease, I have for years recom- 

 mended the use of chlorate of potash or sulphate of soda as preventives 

 when persons are exposed to any contagious diseases. As typhoid has 

 but a limited power of conta^^ion, 1 cannot say positively that the remedy 

 has prevented the spread of that disease ; but I have never had a second 

 case occur in a family where the remedies I recommended were used 

 regularly. I would therefore recommend this formula to be used once 



