THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS 177 



to be rolled round the body, with a waterproof covering above. 

 When diarrhoea is present, small doses of castor oil, containing from 

 20 to 30 drops of laudanum, should be given at the onset, followed 

 up with 20 grains each of bismuth, bicarbonate of soda, magnesia, 

 and cassia, given in a little warm milk every six or eight hours if 

 required. Young pigs often suffer from gastritis when fed on 

 unboiled or unscalded Indian meal. When thus fed they are also 

 liable to take fits. Indian meal should not, therefore, be given 

 to very young pigs. Sharps or parings, with bran, well scalded 

 or boiled, answer better. 



281. Constipation in pigs is generally caused by injudicious 

 feeding or through overfeeding on too much dry food. Sows that 

 are close on pigging also often suffer both before and after parturi- 

 tion from obstinate constipation. Treatment. — If there is one thing 

 more than another that I advocate for this ailment it is croton oil. I 

 know of no other animal that can stand dosing with croton oil like 

 the pig, and I have frequently given from 10 to 20 drops of croton 

 oil mixed in 1 teaspoonful of soft sugar and put on to the pig's tongue ; 

 this can be done without much trouble. Half the quantity may be 

 repeated if necessary. Warm-water enemas must be given three or 

 four times in the twenty-four hours, while 2 quarts of cold water in 

 which a dessertspoonful of bicarbonate of soda has been dissolved can 

 be offered to drink, and this should be changed every four or five hours. 



282. Diarrhoea, or scour, is occasionally seen in the adult 

 animal, and is generally the result of some offending matter in the 

 alimentary canal or system ; in fact, scour is at times Nature's own 

 cure. When seen, a dose of castor oil and laudanum may be given 

 at the onset, followed up with bicarbonate of soda and bismuth 

 (par. 275). Young pigs are great sufferers from diarrhoea when 

 sucking, and it is mostly due to damp floors, bad drainage, and 

 scarcity of good dry bedding — in fact, the want of good sanitation. 

 Treatment. — First clean out the sty, thoroughly wash down the walls 

 and floor with boiling water and carbolic acid, then limewash the 

 walls. A good dry bed should be made of short straw or chaff, and 

 the mother given teaspoonful doses of bicarbonate of soda three times 



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