DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF SHEEP AND PIGS 491 



If coming head first with the front feet turned back or 

 coming rear end first with the legs turned back under it, oil 

 your hand, pass it into the passage and press the pig back 

 into the womb, catch the legs with the finger and bring them 

 forward even with the head, or when rear end first, straighten 

 hind legs backward, so as to come before the rump. Pull 

 slightly and there is usually no further difficulty. 



If the sow is too small for the passage of a man's hand, 

 have a boy oil his hand and perform the operation as 

 described under your direction. 



Be sure to keep the hands and fingers well oiled and 

 avoid rough usage, as such causes the parts to swell and thus 

 makes the work much more difficult. 

 5. Milk Fever. 



This disease is occasionally met with in sows, but the 

 causes are not clearly understood. 



Symptoms. — Symptoms are generally noticed as soon as 

 the sow is through pigging. When the little pigs attempt to 

 ^uck they cannot get any milk. Try to milk her and no milk 

 will come. The teats are soft instead of being full and hard, 

 showing that there is no milk being secreted in the teats. 

 The sow seems very sick, is feverish and does not take notice 

 of her little ones, nor eat, but is very thirsty and will drink 

 a great deal if she can get water to drink. 



Treatment. — Give the following to a large sow: 



Epsom Salts X A pound. 



Sweet Spirits of Nitre % ounce or 1 dessertspoonful. 



Ginger 1 teaspoonful. 



Mix in half pint of lukewarm water and pour down as a 

 drench, first turning the sow on her back and prying her 

 mouth open with a stick to get the drench down. Follow 

 with 



Nitrate of Potash or Saltpetre % pound. 



Sulphur %. pound. 



Mix thoroughly, and to a large sow give a teaspoonful 

 on her tongue with a spoon twice a day, or in soft feed. Give 

 plenty of lukewarm slops to eat, bathe her milk glands three 

 times a day with lukewarm water, rub the parts dry each 

 time after bathing and keep the little pigs sucking to try to 

 bring her back to her milk. Attending to her in this way for 

 a few days usually effects a cure. 



While the sow is sick keep the little pigs alive by feed- 

 ing milk from a newly calved cow. Weaken the milk one- 



