552 DISEASES OF SWINE 



kitchen slops and impure water, are also important causes of the" 

 disease. These kitchen and restaurant slops also frequently 

 contain a considerable amount of strong lye, soaps, or washing 

 compounds which carry large amounts of caustic soda. It is only 

 natural that these irritating drugs should cause an inflammation 

 of the stomach. In many cases the drugs are present in such 

 amounts as to produce death from severe gastritis. 



Drinking of water which contains strong disinfectant solutions, 

 such as carbolic acid or salts of mercury, may also produce an 

 acute attack of inflammation of the stomach. This is a danger 

 which has already been pointed out under the head of Inflamma- 

 tions of the -Mouth. 



A common cause of gastritis is the feeding of an improperly 

 balanced ration of food. Especially is this likely to occur in those 

 cases where hogs are fed on an exclusive corn diet. Many far- 

 mers feed hogs for weeks and months just on dry ear corn, and 

 keep them confined in lots where they have but httle chance for 

 exercise. Too rapid change from one class of food to another is 

 also a frequent cause for acute inflammation of the stomach. 

 This is especially likely to occur early in the faU of the year when 

 commencing to feed green corn or pumpkins. These foods must 

 be gradually introduced into the diet, as otherwise they are likely 

 to cause disastrous effects. 



In the medication of animals for the purpose of ridding them of 

 worms or for other causes a severe gastritis mg-y be set up as the 

 result of giving some irritating drug in too strong a solution. This 

 is especially likely to occur where such agents as copperas are used. 

 In some cases acute gastritis has been caused by the feeding of 

 hog-cholera medicines which contained large amounts of these irri- 

 tating worm remedies. 



Acute gastritis is often seen in hot weather in fattening hogs, 

 as a result of overdrinking of cold water, chiUing the stomach, and 

 causing an acute attack of inflammation. Overexertion, as by 

 fighting with strange hogs or overheating from any cause, may be 

 followed by an attack of gastritis. 



In sucking pigs the disease is quite common, and is the usual 

 start of scours, which carries off large numbers of the little fellows 

 every year. In pigs it may be due to improper quality of the 



