160 



DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 



^^^leu a hog; is attacked by the disease in question, tbe first thing that 

 is usually noticed by the o^vner will be that it has refused its food ; it 

 walks sloTVly along with its nose to the ground. The attack may or may 

 not be preceded by a cough, but a cough is usually noticed in starting 

 the animal from its resting place. It is inclined to hide itself in its bed- 



din ff. 



Sometimes a distinct chill will be noticed, the animal shivering 



or shaking like one ^^ith ague. There may be bleeding at the nose, also 

 bloody urine. The boAvels may be loose or costive. Usually in small 

 pigs a diarrhea will be observed, sometimes quite severe and producing 

 pains. Vomiting is often present, and many cases, especially among old 

 hogs, where this is the case, they recover, while others in the same herd 

 that do not vomit or have diarrhea die. In many herds quite a per- 

 centage of all that have an active diarrhea recover, while in other herds 

 that are not thus aiiected, nearly all die. A swelling of the face, ears, 

 watering of the eyes, increased saliva, and also increased discharge fi'om 

 the nose, are all symptoms of the disease. The genitals in sows will be 

 frequently swollen ; an eruption over .the entire body 5 in some cases 

 quite red, in others dark discolored spots appear. Some limp off as if 

 lame in all the feet ; others only in one foot. Some are attacked by 

 convulsions. The fever inins high for four or five days, if the animal is 

 not sooner destroyed. In fact, all the tissues of the animal suffer more 

 or less as though, the poison affects all. The mouth and throat often 

 have a dii^htheritic ax)X)earance, and bronchitis and inflammation of the 

 lungs supervene with i^leiirisy. On post-mortem examination during the 

 period of incubation you will notice the capillaries of the lungs akeady 

 inflamed and bursting. Later, a circumscribed interlobular iaflammation ; 

 still later, gangrene of the lungs. The liver may be inflamed, also the 

 mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. The kidneys some- 

 times present traces of inflammation ; in some the peritoneum with slight 

 eflusion into the abdomiaal cavity. The temperature during the fever 

 often runs very high, from 107° to 108° F., but some time before death 

 it decreases. The same or nearly the same temperature will be observed 

 morning and evening. There are exceptional cases that have come under 

 my observation. 



Among the aftections of the nervous system is an inflammation of the 

 meninges with rigidity of limbs, spinal meningitis, muscular paralysis, 

 and convulsions Avith eclampsia. 



Among inflammations may be mentioned that of the pericardium, gan- 

 grene of the lungs, interlobular inflammation of lungs, abscess of lungs, 

 peritonitis and inflammation of mucous membrane of the stomach and in- 

 testines, liver, and spleen. The inflammation of the stomach and intes- 

 tines is of a catarrhal charactei', sometimes moderate and sometimes 

 scA'ere ; diarrhea with intense pain ; bleeding from the kidneys ; abor- 

 tions by sows with ])ig ; also abscesses in subcutaneous tissue. A hem- 

 orrhagic condition manifests itself by bleeding about the ears ; inflamma- 

 tion of ])leura with adhesions of a fibrinous character, but no eflusion into 

 the pleural cavity. 



Aggregating a large nuuiber of cases in the same herd, you Avill find 

 all the tissues diseased, but more jiarticularly the lung tissues and the 

 mucous ]uembrane of the intestines. 



1 saw one, case that had survived the acute attack that in two months 

 terminated by tuberculosis and ascite; gangrene of tissues in hams and 

 about tiui face; inflammation of fetlock or ankle joints, involving liga- 

 ment and bone. In observing a diseased herd of several hundred head, 

 you are impressed with the fact that the infectious poison invades all 

 the tissues to a greater or less extent. In one hog it will be noticed 



