SUMMARY. 235 



Mange, or itch, is caused by a minute insect, which is 

 probably hatched from, eggs adhering to the skin. There 

 is no way of curing it, or of preventing its spread, except 

 by killing the insects and their eggs not only on the 

 pigs themselves, but also on the sides of the pens, posts, 

 or anything that the diseased pig rubs against. To de- 

 stroy them on the wood-work, nothing is probably so 

 good as petroleum, and though we have not tried it, we 

 have little doubt that it would also cure the pigs, espe- 

 cially if applied before the disease has made much head- 

 way. 



The disease usually manifests itself on the thin skin 

 under the armpits and thighs, and inside the forelegs. 

 At first, small red blotches or pimples appear, and these 

 gradually spread as the insects multiply and burrow under 

 the skin. It is well to give sulphur and other cooling 

 medicine in the food, but the real aim must be to kill the 

 insects by the prompt and continued use of carbolic acid, 

 petroleum, or a strong decoction of tobacco. Solutions 

 of arsenic and corrosive sublimate are used in severe 

 cases, but are dangerous articles to place in the hands of 

 inexperienced persons. " Unguentum," or mercurial oint- 

 ment, is efficacious, but is not easily applied. 



Measles should be regarded as an evidence of bad treat- 

 ment. In-and-in breeding, dirty pens, impure food, and 

 especially allowing them to eat the droppings of other 

 animals, are probably some of the causes of this disease. 

 Where fattening pigs are fed on whole corn, and the 

 store pigs or breeding sows are allowed to eat their drop- 

 pings, which they frequently do, it should surprise no one 

 if these pigs, or, still more likely, their offspring, are at- 

 tacked with measles. From the investigations of Dr. 

 Thudicum and others, it is now clearly proved that mea- 

 sles in pigs is caused by small entozoa, or internal para- 

 sites, which are embryo forms of the common tapeworm. 

 Measly pork is a fruitful source of tapeworms, and is unfit 



