DISEASE AMONG SWINE AND OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 31 

 Mr. B. I. Van Court, O'Fallou, Saint Clair County, Illinois, says : 



The only disease amonj^ the farm auimals in our section, that gives the fiirniers 

 much couceru, is that aiiccting our liogs. There is no other disease of an uncommon 

 character ali'ecting at present any otlier chiss of our domestic animals. There has 

 been some Texas fever in a few exposed localities, but nothing serious, and no spread 

 of the contagion. The effects of the catarrhal epidemic (epizootic) among our horses 

 is very plain in the entailment of a disease resembling in many cases bronchitis. There 

 have been some cases of this disease, when taken in its early stages, that have yielded 

 to the usual remedies, and where the animals have been handled with ])roper intelli- 

 gence ; but where there has been neglect in early and prompt treatment the disease 

 soon passed into a chronic stage, and thence from bad to worse until the lungs became 

 involved, and a disease generated as dangerous and equally as contagious as glanders, 

 and, indeed, very much like that fearful malady. On the discover}^ of those secondary 

 symptoms the animal should be at once removed to some isolated portion of the farm, 

 where contact with other animals would be impossible, or the animal destroyed at 

 once, which, perhaps, would be best. 



Our swine are affected by two apparently well-marked diseases. In one case the 

 bowels are very much relaxed, and the stomach weak and unable to perform its func- 

 tions. This disease is called hog cholera. It can be cured, and will yield to the usual 

 remedies if taken in its early stages. Tlie other disease is exactly the reverse. Instead 

 of a relaxed state of the bowels, there is a stubborn constipation and very high fever. 

 The animal is droopy in the early stages of the disease; it lies around in isolated 

 places and is hard to arouse ; but at this stage it can be induced to eat, and if proper 

 remedies are immediately administered the disease can be controlled. However, if 

 neglected, death closes the scene in about ten days. 



In 1874, my hogs (Black Berkshire breed) became affected with the disease. I had 

 twenty head, twelve of them being about eighteen months old, and the others about 

 ten. They were running in a wood-pasture in which there was a verj^ heavj^ acorn 

 mast that season, upon which diet they seemed to be doing well, and it was my inten- 

 tion to let them run there until about the middle of October and then put them up to 

 fatten. About the tenth of October I found some of them sick. I drove them up 

 home and gave them some corn, of which but few of them would eat. I sep.aratedthe 

 sick ones and turned the others oat into the pasture again. I discovered that the hogs 

 had high fever, and were laboring under a verj^ costive state of the bowels. I noticed 

 their efforts to evacuate, but with the most scanty results. Indeed, the bowels seemed 

 almost totally obstructed. They had a hacking cough also, which is always a dangerous 

 symptom in all hog diseases. 



I concluded that the main trouble, or a very patent cause at least, was the obstructed 

 condition of the bowels, caused by the stringency of an exclusive acorn diet. I pat 

 up one hog in the pen for treatment, after all efforts had failed in inducing them to eat. 



I drenched the hog I had in the pen with common epsom salts, without any effect. I 

 then repeated the dose, which soon produced the proper result. The animal seemed to 

 be very weak — it could not stand upon its feet. I then gave it adecoction of Peruvian 

 bark, calumba root and a little iiaregoric. This seemed to strengthen and quiet the 

 bowels. After the animal had rested a few hours and had somewhat recovered from 

 the effects of the severe purging, I gave it some corn-meal mixed with milk, made 

 quite thin ; but I had to force it down its throat. The hog soon began to revive. I 

 gave it corn-meal and milk and added a little sulphate of iron, of which it would eat. 

 In a few days it was well, and required no more extra care. The other hogs all died. 

 I would here state that I have had no disease among my hogs since, but I attribute it 

 to the fact that I have given them pulverized sulphate of iron about twice a week, 

 mixed in corn-meal or bran mash, during the fall season. 



In conclusion I would state that I will always believe that the constipated con- 

 dition of the bowels was a prominent predisposing cause in the development of this 

 disease, while malarial influences were acting at the same time. There are evidences 

 abundant, to me at least, that the malarial condition of our atmosi^here, particularly 

 in the fall season, has mnch to do with diseases of farm animals, in this locality at least. 

 Wiieu the immense growth of vegetation has attained its highest degree and begins to 

 decay, there are miasmatic conditions of the air that not only very seriously affect 

 human life, but animal life as well ; and while we are aware that the internal organ- 

 ism of the hog comes nearer to that of the human than any other animal of the farm, 

 I cannot see why they would not be affected with like conditions of the atmos- 

 phere. Ptrmit me to call you attention to another fact which, I think, is well worth 

 consideration, viz : There are but few, if, any, of the diseases common among our hogs 

 found north of what may be termed the malarial line, say 43° north latitude. 



Mr. T. H. Collins, Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, says : 



There is no disease which affects farm animals in this section except that generally 

 known as hog cholera, which is very prevalent. The animal affected lirst refuses to 



