SWINE PLAGUE. 321- 



ture about 83" F. in twenty minutes, and in two minutes at that 

 of 168° r. Cold of about 20" F. kills it in about a fortnight, and 

 salted meat within a month. It is, however, stated that it resists 

 the action of saturated solutions of boracic acid, benzine, chloride 

 of zinc, &c., but is killed by chloride of lime, quicklime, &c. 



Symptoms. — After a period of incubation of about three days, 

 the disease is manifested by intense fever, constipation, red or 

 purple patches upon the skin, particularly of the abdomen, lower 

 parts of chest, ears, inner aspect of the thighs, &c. There is 

 often grinding of the teeth, muscular twitchings, vomiting, 

 great weakness, paralysis of the hind quarters. The conjunctiva 

 are dark red or reddish-brown in colour, and the patches on the 

 skin become confluent, change from a clear red to dark red, and 

 finally a bluish colour. 



The constipation is succeeded by diarrhoea, the fences being 

 often bloody and containing much mucus, and finally the 

 breathing becomes much accelerated, the surface of the body 

 bluish in colour. Death may occur in twenty- four hours or on 

 tlie third or fourth day, but is seldom prolonged to over more 

 than a week, and the per-centage of deaths is from 50 tp 85 per 

 cent., or even higher. 



A cure has been attempted by the administration of emetics 

 and calomel, but more attention is now paid to the arrest of the 

 disease by segregation,disinfection, destruction of the carcases,and 

 finally preventive inoculation has seemingly been of great value 

 in some instances, whilst in others the benefits have been doubt- 

 ful, and further researches will have to be made before its- 

 adoption can become universal. The joost mortem lesions indicate 

 a more general septic condition ; there is congestion of the spleen,. 

 liver, kidneys, and endocardium, with hemorrhage into these 

 organs and into the muscular structures. The spleen externally, 

 however, is tense and yesistent from distension of its capsule, but 

 is soft internally and of a reddish-blue colour, and generally un- 

 associated wath htemorrhagic infarctions or extravasations. 



There is an intense congestion of the mucous membrane of the 

 stomach and bowels, which is sometimes of a uniform dark red 

 colour, swollen, covered with superficial hemorrhagic and 

 diphtheritic patches ; sometimes it has a marbled appearance. 

 The solitary glands and l*eyer's patches are swollen, often 

 covered with bloody mucus, surrounded by a red zone and very 

 often ulcerated, as in the typhoid of man. 



Y 



