disf:ases of the hog. 127 



never detected a case of it A pig may have this 

 trouble and still take on fat, and as it is a disease 

 which is slow in producing bad symptoms, the pig 

 is sent to market before it would likely be detected. 

 I have seen some hearts of pigs which were killed 

 for pork and also died from other diseases which 

 had enlarged or dilated hearts. If we did detect 

 such a case treatment would be of no service. 



FUNCTIONAL OR NERVOUS DISEASES OF THE HEART. 



The only one in the pig which will come under 

 this head is palpitation of the heart (thumps). This 

 term is given when the pulsations of the heart are 

 inordinate and can be perceived by the observer. 

 It is a very common and fatal disease in the pig. 



Causes: Palpitation is rather the result of a 

 disease than a disease itself. It is usually caused 

 by an unhealthy state of the blood which may be 

 either too rich and abundant, causing plethora, or 

 have too much water or be otherwise depraved, as 

 in anemia. The true causes are therefore such as 

 produce either of those conditions. It may also in 

 some cases be caused by a deranged state of the 

 stomach. It is frequently the result of rheumatic 

 irritation affecting the heart through the nerves. 

 Worms in the intestines will sometimes produce 

 it. The most frequent cause of this disease in the 

 pig is a morbid condition of the system, the result 

 of feeding too much corn or food deficient in nitro- 

 gen. 



Symptoms : The pulsations are increased in fre- 

 quency or in force or both; they are sometimes 



