176 DISEASES OF SWINE AND OTHER ANIMALS. 



old ; allow tliem to have but one litter each year ; let the pigs grow up 

 uatiu'ally ; feed them but little, and give them no dry corn ; let them 

 have plenty of water and clay to drink and bathe in, and give them 

 a chance to root for a living, and to that end furnish them good 

 pasturage on soft, moist, and, if possible, shady soil, where various roots 

 are plenty; in fact, let them "root, hog, or die," and wallow to their 

 hearts' content. The roots they may get are their natiu-al food, and by 

 frequent bathing in muddy pools they keei) th:e skin in a lively, healthy 

 condition, free from dandruft" and vermin, A hog looks tilthy enough 

 when he first comes out of his cool bath in a mud-hole ; but see him after 

 he has dried the clay in the sun and rubbed it off on some convenient 

 stump or fence-corner, and he is a nice, clean, and very presentable ani- 

 mal. After he has attained his natural growth in this manner, say from 

 eighteen months to two years, he can be fattened on corn, if you will, 

 without fear of disease. That the disease once started is easily communi- 

 cated by contagion and infection I have easily Ibund by tracing its rav- 

 ages in regiijns of my inquiries. Starting from a diseased hog brought 

 into the neighborhood, it next showed itself in the herd of the only 

 neighbor who let his hogs run at large, and whose hogs visited an in- 

 fected farm. Thence it was conveyed by the hogs of the second party 

 dying alongside of a large pasture filled with well-fed, well-watered hogs. 

 Then other neighbors' hogs broke into this pasture and mingled with the 

 sick hogs, and soon went home to die of the disease and infect others. 

 Others, again, separated by a large creek, crossed to the infected neigh- 

 borhood and were soon numbered with the dead. Diuing a dry, south 

 wind, lasting several days, hogs one mile to the north, separated by the 

 same creek, developed the disease. Thence it was traced in the same 

 manner, carried either by straying hogs or dry winds, and in the case of 

 winds always in the direction of the wind, and then often jumping two 

 or three farms for favorable material. 



Treatment. — Uuclier this head I will necessarily be very brief, for unless 

 the case is taken early in the disease, i. e., unless the pig-raiser under- 

 stands the early symptoms of the disease and adopts what might be 

 called the heroic treatment at once, little, if anything, can be done by 

 medication. 



After fully satisfying myself as to the nature of the disease, I found 

 by taking the case in its incipiency and giving a good cathartic (calomel 

 5 to 20 grains, and podophyllin ^ to 2 grains, according to age) in boiled 

 X)otatoes at night, to be followed each morning for two or three days by 

 sulphate cinchoneidia 10 to 40 grains, according to age, in slops, and after 

 and during this treatment give spirits turpentine (5 to 20 drops), or car- 

 bolic acid in slops (1 to o drops) every four hours, resulted in a cure in 

 80 to 90 -par cent, of cases treated. In addition I would follow sugges- 

 tions recommended in prevention of the disease, viz., isolate the sick ; 

 keep them in pastures with free access to water and clay. Clay is one 

 of our best antiseptics, and the hog knows it, and will when thirsty, if 

 he can, mix it with the water before he drinks. Give them but little, if 

 anything, to eat, and, if ;niy, such vegetables as turnips, parsnips, 

 artichokes, and other food of this chiss. By no means feed corn, espe- 

 cially dry corn. I really think t'hat if the suggestions as to the manner 

 of breeding, feeding, and caring for the pig here offered Avero followed 

 out tliere wH)uld be but little, if any, ]ieed for treatment. 



Before closing I Avish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Maj. James 

 S. Mellen, of Saint Louis, for many and valuable suggestions. 

 I am yours, very respectfully, is:c., 



J. X. McNUTT, If. JD. 



Pi:v]:Lv, jMo., Ocfohcr 14, 1878. 



