SWINE. 



SWINE. 



breathing The larynx also becomes inflamed 

 BO as to stnj -.[UiMliMir. There is frequently 

 Bwelliir.' of i he tongue with bleeiling from the 

 nose. Wln-n the lungs become much affected, 

 there is little or no diarrhoea or dysentery. 

 In mm !> ie side of the head" becomes 



affected, and the ear swollen to twice its usual 

 thickness. The inHumnmtion spreads to the 

 eyes. | lindness. Sometimes one or 



more of the legs become intl:mi<l ami swollen, 

 :ik Hilton the Hanks. InflMiima- 

 h,m ..t tin- f.riin and delirium occur. Sudden 

 change* in the weather, |>articularly from 

 warm to ,--.!. I. appears to increase the fatality 

 of tli 



The best preventive is cleanliness, regular 

 and wholesome food, good pasture in season, 

 mi'l in 



or J. B. Turner, of Jacksonville, 

 found the following preparation very effectual 

 in thi>i inn 



Take 1 peck of ashes, 4 Ibs. of salt, 1 Ib. of 

 black antimony, Tibs, of copperas, 1 Ib. of sul- 

 phur, } or i Ib. saltpetre; pound these ingre- 

 dients tine and mix them well together. Keep 

 this mixture in a separate trough, and let each 

 hog eat what it will each day. When predis- 

 posed to cholera, they will take it much more 

 freely than if entirely well. At such times the 

 expense will be considerable. If a hog gets 

 down, induce it to drink in slops, or drench 

 him with one gill of coal-oil per day. 



A strong solution of alum in water has been 

 recom ; which about a pint may be 



given every two or three days, either mixed in 

 swill or in a drench, and continued for 2 or 3 

 weeks during the prevalence of the disease. 



The most formidable of the diseases to which 

 swine are liable, is inflammation of the lungs, 

 and other internal parts. This disease has 

 been known to destroy a fourth of the hogs in 

 a distillery in the course of a few weeks. The 

 chief indications of the disease will be the dis- 

 tressing cough, the heaving of the flanks, and 

 the refusal of all food. Bleeding must be 

 promptly resorted to, and moderate purges 

 cautiously administered. The safest aperients 

 are castor oil or Epsom salts, after which the 

 following sedative powder may be given : fox- 

 glove ('ijfi/(i/w) 2 grs., antim. powd. 2 grs., 

 mire half a drachm. 



In cases of murrain, a species of leprosy, 

 which prevails chiefly in hot seasons, the best 

 Ivice that can be given is to keep the animal 

 cool, and not suffer carrion or portions of ani- 

 mal food to be given. 



The health of swine is to be estimated by 



their cheerfulness, by the gloss upon their 



coats, their skin being wholly free from erup- 



tisturbed, it is an 



"cell- -uinH health and good keep. 



the excrement or digestions will 



y indicate pretty correctly the thriving 



the animal, for unless these are 



of a firm consistence, the hog will not fatten 



Pdlj ,ir stock-pigs are kept well 



and in good condition, it will prevent most of 



> which the animals are subject, 



and thy will also thrive and fatten at half the 



it up for that purpose. From 



ifinement of the hog, and the nature of 



his food, a description of dyspepsia takes place, 

 a superabundant acid is formed in the stomach, 

 and, the skin sympathizing, cutaneous erup- 

 tions display themselves; one of the best pro- 

 phylactics in such a condition of the animal 

 are cinders or charcoal. It operates as a most 

 salutary tonic, and improves the general pow- 

 ers of digestion. Hogs are so fond of cinders, 

 that when a handful of them is thrown into a 

 sty, the animals li-ght for them. 



Weaning. If the young pigs have been well 

 fed, they may be weaned after six weeks, and 

 in all cases in two months. In their after 

 treatment, when separated from their mother, 

 they should be regularly fed 3 times a day 

 and their food should at first consist of warm 

 liquid food, such as whey, milk, or the refuse 

 of the dairy and kitchen, &c., raised to the 

 temperature of the mother's milk by the addi- 

 tion of a little warm, water. They will soon 

 learn to partake of more solid substances. 



The rearing and fattening of the* hog pre- 

 sents little difficulty, for this animal is reared 

 equally well on a small or a large scale; by 

 the cottager, from the wash and refuse of his 

 house and garden, or by the extensive breeder, 

 who has more abundance and variety of food 

 at command. 



As the situation, climate, crops, and other 

 local circumstances must to a great extent 

 regulate the breeding and feeding of swine, it 

 is quite impossible to lay down rules of gene- 

 ral application, or to describe a practice which 

 necessarily varies in almost every district. I 

 shall content myself, therefore, with noticing a 

 few of tbe substances upon which the animals 

 are usually fed and found to thrive best. 



It constitutes the principal value of swine, 

 that they can be maintained on almost any 

 kind of aliment. In America, Indian corn or 

 maize is largely used. In the West Indies, the 

 cane tops, refuse trash from the cane after the 

 juice has been expressed, and the washings of 

 the sugar-coolers, boilers, distillery vats, &c^ 

 form their principal food. In Newfoundland, 

 Labrador, and other parts where fish is plenti- 

 ful, they are freely fed upon the waste refuse 

 from the fisheries; and although they thrive 

 well upon this food, their flesh is coarse and 

 strong. 



Where the farmer or breeder has a rich 

 piece of grass or clover unemployed, hogs 

 which are not put up for feeding may be turned 

 into it with advantage ; but there is an objec- 

 tion to this on the score of the manure which 

 is lost. When the field is so situated that the 

 hogs can return at night to the well-littered 

 sties, the practice may then be found beneficial. 



But roots, rather than herbage, is their na- 

 tural food, such as earthnuts, the roots of 

 couch grass, &c.: acorns, chestnuts, beechmast, 

 hazel-nuts, and other dry seeds and fruits, are 

 eagerly consumed by them ; and hence, in the 

 countries in the south of Europe, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of forests where these abound, they 

 are frequently snlfered to range at large and 

 collect their own food. Hogs are also very 

 partial to juicy and pulpy fruits, such as the 

 grape, the orange, the refuse of apples, pears, 

 olives, &c., after the juice has been expressed. 

 Although hay and dried fodder is not adapted 



