218 HAREIS ON THE PIG. 



not regain their thrifty growth for a week or ten days. 

 We should add that the sow continued perfectly well, 

 and manifested no symptoms of the complaint. As a 

 general rule, no medicine will be required. Change the 

 food of the mother, and let her go out into the air, hut 

 let the little pigs remain in the pen, and see that they are 

 warm and comfortable. The less they are disturbed, and 

 the more they sleep, the sooner will they recover. It is 

 also very important to keep the pen clean and well venti- 

 lated. Nothing can be worse than to leave the evacua- 

 tions in the pen. Scatter some dry earth about the pen 

 to absorb the offensive gases. Let the feeding apartment 

 also be dusted over with dry earth or soil of any kind 

 that can be obtained, and then scraped, and swept, and 

 washed, and a little dry straw, or chaff, or sawdust, be 

 spread on it, to prevent dampness. Scald the pig troughs 

 with boiling water, and make them sweet and clean. Let 

 this be done every day. The attendant should understand 

 that the scours are an evidence of negligence or carelessness. 

 The same may be said of coughs or colds. Damp pens, 

 exposure to a cold storm, too much litter at one time, and 

 too little at another, or suffering it to remain until it gets 

 damp, are the chief causes of colds, with all their attend-* 

 ant disorders. An ounce of Epsom salt, given to the 

 sow in her food, twice a day, will be beneficial to the lit- 

 tle pigs. But it is not often that pigs are affected with 

 colds until after they are weaned, and in this case a few 

 salts, either Epsom, Glauber's, or Rochelle, as most con- 

 venient, may be given in the food say a teaspoonful of 

 Epsom or Rochelle salts, to a three-months-old pig, or a 

 tablespoonful of Glauber's salt, given in the food twice a 

 day, with a little gentian or ginger, or some other tonic. 

 Fresh air is very important, and in mild weather they 

 should be allowed to run in the pasture, but should be 

 permitted to return to their pen whenever they wish. 

 Let the pen be made as dry and comfortable as possible j 



