DISEASES OF SWINE 437 



put down suddenly, keeping up the motion more or less constantly 

 while standing. There will also be some twitching when lying 

 down and not asleep. Often when pigs are so affected, although in 

 good condition when the trouble begins, they become thin and puny. 

 Treatment. The best treatment is to turn the affected pig out 

 on clover pasture and give it plenty of milk. As the animal grows, 

 it may gradually get better without medicinal treatment. Good re- 

 sults may follow the administration of tincture of asefoetida in half 

 tablespoon ful doses two or three times a day. (Ind. B. 100.) 



SUNSTROKE OR HEATSTROKE. 



Hogs, especially fat hogs, when driven on a very hot day, or 

 handled and shipped some distance are apt to be overcome with the 

 heat. If kept in a pasture unprovided with shade, they may suffer 

 severely from the sun. 



Symptoms. The principal symptoms are fatigue, dropping of 

 the ears, staggering gait, sudden collapse and unconsciousness and 

 death. Convulsions may occur and death generally follows in a 

 short time. 



Treatment. The preventive treatment consists in not handling 

 fat hogs during the hottest part of the day in the very warm weather, 

 and providing the hog pasture with some shade. When handling 

 hogs in hot weather, frequent wetting with cold water will help in 

 keeping them cool. If overcome by the heat, it is best to move the 

 hog to a shady place and pour cold water on the head, but not upon 

 the body. As a stimulant, alcohol (one tablespoonful) or tincture 

 of mix Vomica (one teaspoonful), can be given in a little water. 

 (Ind. B. 100.) 



PARALYSIS. 



Frequent reports are received of cases of paralysis of swine. The 

 disease usually attacks the hind quarters (for fuller description see 

 following page), but sometimes affects the w r hole body. It 

 first appears as a slight loss of control of the hind legs, as 

 shown by a weaving of the body, knuckling at the fetlocks, 

 and finally a paralysis more or less complete. The animal 

 is unable to raise itself on its hind legs and often drags the 

 hind quarters as it moves about. The disease occurs in swine of all 

 ages, from suckling pigs to aged animals, and in various conditions 

 of flesh. This paralysis is not to be confused with a staggering gait 

 that is due to weakness resulting from a lack of proper food. This 

 disease is popularly supposed to be caused by "Kidney Worm" 

 (Stephanurus dentatus), but there is no evidence to support this 

 belief. We have examined herds of swine, all badly infested with 

 "Kidney Worm," with no cases of paralysis; and in those cases of 

 paralysis examined after death, we have failed to find kidney worms 

 in most cases. While kidney worms were present in two or three 

 cases, they did not seem to be the cause of the paralysis. The disease 

 seems to be located in the spinal cord at the lumbar region, but the 

 actual cause is unknown at present. 



Treatment. Some cases recover without treatment, but a ma- 

 jority of the cases prove fatal. The animals remain paralyzed, un- 



