542 DISEASES OF SWINE 



throat made, it will be found to be quite severely swollen and very 

 painful and tender. The lining membrane of the mouth and throat 

 is of a purplish-red color and there is a decidedly bad odor from the 

 mouth. 



As the condition becomes worse there is often regurgitation of 

 food through the nostrils, difficulty in breathing, and a whisthng 

 or snorting sound at each breath. There is usually considerable 

 fever present. Abscesses or ulcers may form in the throat, and 

 these, with the swelling already present, not infrequently shut off 

 the air-passages and cause death. 



The bowels are usually constipated, and the animal loses flesh 

 and strength as a result of the inability to properly take food and 

 drink. 



Treatment. — Prevention of this disease consists in avoiding the 

 causes for producing inflammation of the digestive and respiratory 

 tract. Proper quarters, proper ventilation, and proper non-irri- 

 tating foods are the principal factors in prevention of the 

 disease. 



In the medicinal treatment of the disease the first thing to be 

 done is to place the animal in comfortable warm quarters, which are 

 properly ventilated and open to sunlight if possible. The animal 

 should be given plenty of good clean water to drink and food of a 

 soft character. This food should preferably be warmed, especially 

 in winter time. Milk is perhaps the best diet. 



As a preliminary to other methods of treatment it is a good 

 plan to give a cathartic, consisting of calomel and castor oil. 

 This should be followed by small doses of aconite and belladonna. 

 The aconite and belladonna may be well given in the form of an 

 electuary, made up to contain 3 ounces of syrup, 2 drams of tinc- 

 ture of aconite, 1 dram of tincture of belladonna, and 2 drams of 

 potassium chlorate. One-half to one teaspoonful of this may be 

 placed in the mouth every three hours. It reduces the fever, over- 

 comes the congestion, relieves the pain, and has a most beneficial 

 effect on the general condition. 



As a method of local treatment in severe cases it may be desir- 

 able to swab out the throat with a solution of nitrate of silver, 

 using 1 part of the drug to 100 parts of water. A swab should 

 be fixed up with a wire handle, and the hog held by means of a 



